A single sheet of A4 paper impregnated with synthetic cannabinoids generated five thousand euros in illicit profits inside a Portuguese prison, laying bare an elaborate smuggling operation that authorities dismantled this week.
Following an investigation that began in May, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) launched a large-scale operation involving approximately 50 officers from its Northern Directorate, as Jornal SOL reported. The sweep targeted the Estabelecimento Prisional de Vale do Sousa in Paços de Ferreira, resulting in the arrests of four men and one woman ranging in age from 17 to 68 years old.
An Organized Scheme Uncovered During Prison Visits
The criminal enterprise first surfaced in May when authorities detained a woman during a routine visiting hour. She was caught attempting to hand over narcotic substances to her companion, an inmate residing within the Vale do Sousa facility.
What initially appeared to be an isolated infraction quickly triggered a broader inquiry. Subsequent investigative steps conducted by the PJ, in close collaboration with the Direção-Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais (DGRSP), revealed that the delivery was merely a single node in a structured distribution network operating inside the penitentiary walls.
Investigators executed coordinated searches both inside and outside the prison complex on Thursday. The operation yielded multiple sheets of paper treated with synthetic cannabinoids—a potent psychoactive substance known for severe hallucinogenic effects and high toxicity, yet widely demanded among incarcerated populations.
Judicial Proceedings and Next Steps for the Suspects
The five detained individuals remain in custody pending their initial judicial interrogation, where a judge will determine their mandatory coercive measures.
As the judicial process moves forward, authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the distribution network and the specific roles each suspect held within the organization.
