Portugal charges 10 over nearly two tonnes of cocaine

Ten men, including nine Danish citizens or residents, have been charged over the alleged smuggling of nearly two tonnes of cocaine into Portugal, DR reports. The drugs were probably destined for Denmark, according to the report.

Police seized cocaine from the sailing boat Freja, a hearse and a house allegedly used as a drug warehouse. Denmark’s National Special Crime Unit told DR the seizure was the largest cocaine case in which Danish police have been involved.

The arrests took place in February in southern Portugal, following a tip from Danish police. The men were detained at several locations, including a marina in Portimão, a house and a hotel. All ten deny the charges.

Portuguese prosecutors allege that several of the men sailed Freja from Portimão to the Canary Islands in December 2025. In waters around the islands, the boat allegedly collected about two tonnes of cocaine from another vessel. Freja returned to Portimão in early February 2026, where police arrested the men after monitoring them.

Prosecutors say three of the men used a Portuguese hearse in their operation. Police found 155 packages of cocaine in bags inside the vehicle. The indictment also describes one man as a specialist boat mechanic and another as experienced in logistics and transport.

Copenhagen Police say a suspected mastermind is abroad and hiding from authorities. DR reports that he has previously come under scrutiny over suspected drug smuggling, but left Denmark when cocaine shipments were due to arrive. He was not in Denmark when the ten men were arrested in Portugal.

Paulo Gomes da Silva, chief analyst at the Portuguese-based international law enforcement cooperation agency MAOC, said it was very unusual for a vessel carrying drugs to sail from the Atlantic into a port. He said smugglers generally try to use remote coastal areas because of the surveillance and security in port towns.

Portuguese police suspect the network may have made earlier trips without detection, but say they cannot prove this. In a related case, the wife of one of the men was convicted this spring at the Sønderborg District Court of using suspected drug money. Her husband had allegedly returned home twice with 600,000 kroner in cash.

It is not yet known when the case will go to trial in Portugal.