The avionet landed on the afternoon of 25 January 2023, in the unfinished section of A26, in the southern grant node in the future connection to Sines and discharged the hashish bales, where two traffickers were waiting in a car to collect the drug, and took off again.
The Air Force followed the entire plane of plane “without communications and unidentified” until landing in the unfinished section of A26.
little past of 14,00 hours when the GNR received the communication, and immediately mobilized various means from the Transit and Territorial Stations of Grândola, Beja Traffic Detachment, Ferreira do Alentejo Territorial Post and Criminal Investigation teams from the Setúbal and Beja Commands, to catch drug recipients.
The drug with the drug then headed south, peel EN 261/IC1. feeling hounded, the individuals entered Azinheira dos Barros and then took the dirt roads, ending up abandoning the car and the drug next to a ruined hill, and putting himself to flight on foot.
The Air Force called two F16 fighters and a patrol plane to intercep, but, It is now noticed that by strategy of the Judicial Police, The aircraft returned to the flight and return to Morocco, where would it come from.
“The Air Force, through the air defense and air policing system, yesterday afternoon an aircraft was detected approaching national airspace, uncommunicated and unidentified”, He informed that branch of the Armed Forces, in a statement. The note detailed that the avionet was “detected south of the Algarve and with a north direction” and that, "immediately", “a pair of F-16M” was activated. “Due to the fact that the unidentified aircraft was flying at a low speed and at a low altitude, a P-3C CUP+ plane was also committed”, adds. The intruder was followed through the electronic systems of the P-3C CUP+ and the authorities on the ground were informed of the route and location of the plane, that “it would end up landing in a place close to Ferreira do Alentejo”.
The case was investigated by the Judicial Police, that in previous moments, had the collaboration of the Portuguese Air Force, da National Republican Guard, of the Spanish Civil Guard and the Gendarmerie Royale of the Kingdom of Morocco, and yesterday announced that an aircraft were seized; cannabis resin (hashish) sufficient for the composition of at least one million individual doses; a vehicle where the seized skeptic; diverse communications and navigation material; a firearm and diverse documentation.
Another suspect is already serving prison sentence in Spain, for facts committed in that territory. The three detainees, aged between 63 and 70 year old, the first judicial interrogation will be present for the application of coercion measures.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
