Operation SPICE: six arrested as Portuguese police stop cocaine laboratory being built
Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária arrested six suspects and stopped a cocaine extraction laboratory being set up in Santiago do Cacém. Police say the drug was concealed in cinnamon and other spices from South America. The estimated quantity may be around 100 kilograms, but has not been finally established.
The operation took place on Tuesday 27 October and was announced the following day. At a villa in Setúbal district, investigators found large quantities of powdered spices containing cocaine, together with equipment and chemicals. Police say the laboratory was still being assembled; the operation prevented it from starting work.
The five men and one woman are aged between 30 and 58. The PJ suspects them of involvement in transporting the mixed consignments and extracting the cocaine. The statement, reported by news agency Lusa and Portuguese outlets, names no suspects and identifies no individual leader.
Searches also led to the seizure of three vehicles, money and communications equipment. The figure of roughly 100 kilograms is a preliminary estimate of the cocaine contained in the spices. It is not a final weighing of a 100-kilogram consignment of pure drug.
The investigation continues under the DIAP prosecution department in Sintra. Reports published on 28 October said the six were still due to attend their first judicial questioning. The South American country of origin was not disclosed.
