Hugo Cajuda and Bruno Carvalho Santos say they were never on the cocaine plane

Sports agents Hugo Cajuda and Bruno Carvalho dos Santos said this Friday that they had never been on the plane in which Brazilian authorities seized 500 kilos of cocaine, thus expressing themselves “totally unaware” of the situation.

The two businessmen refer to the case of the private aircraft in which he found half a ton of drugs after a flight in which the company OMNI transported to Brazil the former president of Boavista Futebol Clube, João Loureiro and a Spanish citizen.

The topic generated several news reports that mentioned Hugo Cajuda and Bruno Carvalho Santos as involved in the case and gave them as “partly uncertain and whereabouts unknown”, but the two entrepreneurs now reject this version in a joint statement.

“Firstly, we went to Brazil on business and were always in touch, as the authorities will easily be able to prove to several people of our personal and professional relationships. Secondly, and most importantly, none of us has ever been within that scope. plane “, guarantee.

The two businessmen admit, however, that the mention of their names may be due to the fact that, at a certain point, they considered returning to Portugal in that private plane, given the suspension in Brazil of commercial flights to Portuguese territory, given the epidemiological context of both countries. But they claim that the hypothesis did not come to fruition.

“As sports intermediaries, we traveled to Brazil on a commercial plane to watch the Copa Libertadores da América final on January 30th. We stayed in Brazil after the game, in order to accompany customers and develop new business opportunities. blocking commercial flights, we were offered the possibility of returning to Portugal on the aforementioned private plane and with other people on the passenger list, namely the SL Benfica player Lucas Veríssimo, but we never did it “, they explain.

The entrepreneurs also add: “Due to professional commitments that have come up in the meantime, we have chosen to extend our stay in Brazil, developing contacts of sports intermediation in the name and on behalf of our customers. We are, therefore, totally oblivious to the seizure of 500 kilos of cocaine to which the news in question refers and whose existence, origin or destination we are completely unaware of “.

The two agents point out that they only learned of the facts “from the news published in the media” and refer: “We are surprised and sorry that we were not contacted to clarify and comment on what happened before involving our names in this situation”.

In the same communiqué, Hugo Cajuda and Bruno Carvalho dos Santos claim that they were not contacted by the Brazilian authorities on the subject, but say they are “fully available to collaborate with the competent entities in everything that proves useful and pertinent to rule out any implication. [dos seus nomes] in the reported seizure of narcotic drugs “.

Entrepreneurs say they are ready to defend this position in court. “We calmly await the evolution of events, but we do not neglect to timely trigger the legal mechanisms for the defense of our good name and social and professional reputation”, they conclude.

On February 10, the Brazilian Federal Police seized half a ton of cocaine bound for Portugal hidden in the aforementioned private plane, following an inspection that agents of this police force did to the aircraft, parked on the runway of Salvador International Airport.

Two days after the seizure of this material, the administration of the Portuguese company OMNI -Aviação e Tecnologia explained, in a statement then sent to Lusa, that it had been hired to make an executive flight, departing from Portugal, destined for Brazil and subsequent return, few days later.

The passenger list of that plane included João Loureiro, former president of Boavista, who has already declared himself “completely oblivious” to the situation involving 500 kilos of cocaine.

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