Lisbon: Portuguese police seized about five tonnes of cocaine on a container ship on the open ocean and made three arrests, the authorities said on Wednesday.
The boat was making its way from an unnamed Latin American country and was boarded about 640 nautical miles from Lisbon in "extremely difficult conditions", according to the statement.
The operation enabled authorities to "dismantle a criminal group dedicated to smuggling large quantities of drugs into Europe", the police said.
Investigators seized several items and arrested two passengers and a crew member "suspected of being involved in the criminal scheme", the statement said.
The suspects are not Portuguese but their nationality was not disclosed.
The Portuguese navy escorted the container ship to the southern port of Siner, where it arrived Tuesday.
The operation also involving the air force and, at an earlier stage, British and Spanish authorities.
