A Danish police force was involved in seizing over a ton of cocaine in Portugal: 'A huge case'

This was not a routine operation for Danish police last night.

That’s because they worked closely with Portuguese and Spanish authorities to seize 1.3 tons of cocaine in Portugal as part of a smuggling case, while also detaining 11 individuals in total.

This is highly unusual, says Mads Helios, an inspector with Copenhagen Police.

“It’s rare for Danish police to encounter such large quantities, especially when it comes to physical substances—meaning actual drug seizures,” he states.

The operation was initially led by South and North Jutland Police, who later reached out to Copenhagen Police for assistance with individuals residing in the capital region.

At that point, however, the scale of the case was not yet fully understood, Mads Helios explains.

“Initially, the scope wasn’t assessed as being quite this large. But we adapted as the situation unfolded, and now it’s concluded as it stands today,” he says.

He calls it a “major case for Danish police.”

“A lot of large quantities of drugs, particularly cocaine from South America, are being smuggled into Europe. 1.3 tons is a massive amount. And while we don’t yet know where the drugs were intended to go, if they had been directed at the Danish market, I’m convinced it would have been felt on the streets,” Mads Helios says.

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**Detained on a ship**

Ten men were detained in Portugal—including six Danish citizens—while one woman was arrested in Copenhagen. One of the detained men is a member of a criminal network in Denmark.

The men were apprehended on and near a ship.

“For once, we had the opportunity to choose the timing and location to some extent. We decided to strike at a moment when we had both the vessel carrying the drugs and the vehicles meant to transport them further,” Mads Helios says.

Meanwhile, 21 addresses across Denmark were searched.

“It yielded evidence, cash, and a small amount of narcotics, which we’ll now follow up on,” he adds.

It’s unclear how the detained men respond to the charges, but the woman denies any wrongdoing, according to Ritzau.

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