Crew member arrested in five-tonne cocaine bust in Sines found dead in cell – Portugal Resident

One of the three foreign men arrested following Portugal’s seizure of five tonnes of cocaine aboard a container ship off the coast of Sines has been found dead in his cell at the Judicial Police (PJ) detention facility in Lisbon, Correio da Manhã has revealed.

The man was discovered dead on Wednesday, August 5. Portuguese media report that he is believed to have died by hanging, although the circumstances surrounding his death are now under investigation.

At a press conference on Wednesday, João Oliveira, head of the PJ’s National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking (UNCTE), identified the other two detainees as Italian and Colombian nationals, writes Público. The deceased man, who was a member of the ship’s crew, was an Indian national, according to the PJ.

According to RTP, the deceased crew member was believed to be the only one of the three detainees who could provide investigators with significant information about the alleged drug trafficking network. Prison officers reportedly discovered his body at around 8am.

RTP also reported that there is no video surveillance inside the detention cells, although CCTV cameras monitor the corridors of the facility.

In a statement to RTP, the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) confirmed that “a detainee admitted under a warrant following the arrests in Operation SkyDrop was found dead in the cell he occupied alone at the prison facility adjacent to the Judicial Police headquarters in Lisbon”.

It added that the man was discovered by prison officers carrying out the morning opening of the cells, who immediately alerted the emergency services via 112. Emergency medical personnel attended the scene and confirmed the death.

According to the PJ, the crew member was the third person arrested on Tuesday in the operation after investigators identified him as allegedly playing a role in the trafficking scheme.

The two other foreign nationals, who were found aboard the vessel in an irregular immigration situation, remain in custody and appeared before court on Wednesday.

During Operation SkyDrop, authorities intercepted a Hong Kong-flagged container ship around 640 nautical miles off the Portuguese coast before escorting it to the Port of Sines.

The operation resulted in the seizure of five tonnes of cocaine hidden aboard the vessel, making it one of the largest drug hauls ever recorded in Portugal. The PJ said the seizure has pushed the total amount of cocaine confiscated in Portugal this year to around 28 tonnes, already surpassing the country’s total for the whole of 2025.

The investigation, led by the PJ’s National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, was carried out in cooperation with the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, as well as the UK’s National Crime Agency, Spain’s National Police and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC-N).

Authorities also seized equipment allegedly used to transport and jettison cocaine at sea.

The investigation into the drug trafficking network continues, alongside a separate inquiry into the death of the detained crew member.

Sources: Polícia Judiciária/RTP/Correio da Manhã/Observador