"The suspects were able to identify a container that had recently arrived in Portugal from Latin America with powdered mineral anthracite as its declared legal cargo, and that in the structure of the same container came concealed about 100 kg of cocaine with a high degree of purity," the PJ revealed in a statement on 24 February.

The seven men arrested all have criminal records for drug trafficking, are aged between 36 and 69 years and four are Portuguese and the rest from a Latin American country.

The detainees will now be presented to the judge for application of coercive measures and the investigation continues in cooperation with international authorities.

Operation "Diamond" was carried out by the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, in an investigation led by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution and with the support of two directorates of the PJ and the Criminal Investigation Department of Vila Real and was supported by the Tax Authority and the GNR.