The new police station specialising in drug trafficking investigations, which will operate at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC), in Forte do Alto do Duque, in Lisbon, arises from a restructuring of the DIC in the context of drug trafficking crimes.

A PSP source told Lusa that this is the first Public Security Police station dedicated to drug trafficking and will function as a pilot project.

In all PSP commands, there is a brigade dedicated to drugs in the criminal investigation stations. In Lisbon, the police brought together all existing brigades involved in criminal investigation and concentrated them in a specialised police station, explained the same source.

In a statement, the Lisbon Metropolitan Command (Cometlis) of the PSP says that drug trafficking “is a scourge that urgently needs to be combated, and this fight is clearly a priority within the framework of the European Union”.

According to Cometlis, Europol estimates that around half of the most dangerous criminal networks operating in Europe are involved in drug trafficking, with 36% exclusively involved and 18% also linked to other illicit activities.

It also reports on the European Union's annual report on drugs, which refers to a significant increase in drug production in Europe, particularly in terms of synthetic drugs and cocaine, as well as the increase in the purity and availability of the drug, the significant increase in cannabis use among young people and the increase in drug-related homicides and violence.

“It is in this context that the restructuring of drug trafficking investigations in the city of Lisbon arises, in a completely innovative way, both in terms of structure and strategy, which will have a single command and a well-defined vision”, highlights the PSP.