Called Neptune VI, the operation served to reinforce security along Mediterranean Sea routes, also including airports and borders of participating countries.

The operation had the cooperation of Frontex and Europol and, in addition to Portugal, took place in Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia.

“The operation focused on identifying and analyzing the movement patterns of foreign terrorist fighters and individuals with links to terrorism, as well as criminal groups responsible for cross-border crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling and human trafficking”, says Interpol in a statement.

During the two-week operation, stolen vehicles and lost or stolen passports were also identified, which are key to facilitating the financing and mobility of terrorists, Interpol added.

By the end of Neptune VI, twelve million data points had been cross-referenced and 16 of the organisation's most wanted individuals had been arrested, as well as 54 others wanted by authorities in some of the countries for crimes detected at the border, including drug-related crimes and fraud, as well as smuggling of gold, money and weapons.