The 45-year-old Portuguese citizen, Heitor Brandão, was arrested this Tuesday, by the Portuguese Judiciary Police, in his home near Lisbon.
According to the report made by Jornal de Notícias, Heitor Brandão controlled Lisbon’s drug traffic network, and the logistics of an international cartel that moves between Brazil and Europe. When he was arrested, he had 125 thousand euros in cash.
Heitor was known for being in charge of the drug network in Margem Sul (across the bridge from Lisbon), Campo de Ourique (Lisbon), and what used to be Casal Ventoso (Lisbon, near Alcântara).
Moreover, Heitor’s men dived into the waters of European ports to remove the drugs from the hulls of cargo ships that came from across the Atlantic Ocean and then distributed it to other parts of the criminal organization.
The warrant that led to his arrest came from an investigation that registered several of such moments in France, and that also led to the apprehension of more than 300 kilos of cocaine since the beginning of the last year.
In fact, even though the Portuguese Judiciary Police was always involved, it was the French Police that issued an international warrant ordering Heitor’s arrest.
The suspect was surprised in his home and arrested. At the same time, two of his best men were also detained. They will most likely be extradited to France, where they’ll be charged and prosecuted for drug trafficking.
Bear in mind that Heitor Brandão seems to be no ordinary man. He started selling drugs to consumers and made his way up the food chain until he reached the top. Then, he turned international.
And when it comes to his personal life, Heitor was loved by everyone in Estrela, Lisbon. He was president of its indoor soccer club, and also very well-connected. There are images posted on Instagram that suggest that he and the President of the Parish Council of Estrela knew each other.
