Year: 2014

On 23^rd September GNR officers in patrol in Castro Marim identified four citizens aged between 17 and 27 years for robbery.

The GNR were alerted by a resident in Altura – Castro Marim, of a suspicious vehicle with four people inside, who circulating near unoccupied residences. After accessing the situation the GNR managed to intercept the car, which had Spanish registration a few minutes later  whilst on the EN 125, near Monte Gordo. Upon searching the vehicle and people inside, two crowbars, gloves, several pieces of gold and 900 euros in cash were discovered.

Following their detention the recovered goods were recognized by the victim of another robbery which had taken place the previous day in Castro Marim. Investigations are being undertaken to determine whether those detained are responsible for other offenses using the same modus operandi that occurred in recent days in the area.

On 25^th September 2014 officers from GNR Albufeira arrested a British citizen aged 36 years and identified four others for theft, after executing a number of search warrants.

The arrest resulted from an investigation by the GNR into the person’s involvement into a number of thefts at several hotels in the area.  The arrested person is reported to be British.

The detained citizen entered hotels and stole items belonging to tourists, including watches, computer high value items, bags and money.

During the search at his residence several computer items and various wristwatches and 184 doses of hashish and 1.2 grams of marijuana were recovered. The items recovered were part of items stolen from hotels which were previously reported to the GNR.

It has been reported in the media that the four persons identified were sent the stolen items by post by the person arrested.

It is this belief that the person arrested is responsible for many other thefts using the same modus operandi that have occurred in recent months in the area.

The person was first arrested in July this year and following an earlier court appearance has been reporting to the GNR.

On 25^th September 2014 at 0800 hrs the PSP Airport Security Division arrested a 59 year old foreigner for possession prohibited weapons.

The citizen was at the screening of passengers point at Faro International Airport for access to the departure lounge for the flight to Brussels. During a security check of his hand luggage three prohibited weapons (one spring type knife point, and two 11,50cm and knives with blade 10cm respectively), as well as a can of gasoline lighter with 125ml were discovered.

The objects were seized.

New 10 Euro bank note launched

The new €10 started circulating on 23 September 2014. It is the second banknote of the Europa series to be launched after the new €5, which started circulating on 2 May 2013. On 13 January 2014 Yves Mersch, member of the ECB’s Executive Board, unveiled the new €10. The other banknotes in the series will be introduced gradually over several years, in ascending order. The denominations remain unchanged: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500.

The ECB and the national central banks of the Eurosystem are conducting an information campaign about the Europa series which includes a dedicated website. The campaign aims to help the public recognise the new notes and their security features. In June 2014, the Eurosystem distributed information materialon the Europa series and specifically on the €10 to professional cash handlers working in over 3 million shops and banks in the euro area.

It is important to note that the current 10 Euro note remains in legal tender and there will be plenty of advanced warning when the note is intended to be withdrawn in the future. People should be aware of anyone, especially any callers at your home, offering new notes in exchange for old ones in case they are counterfeit.

Details and samples of the new note and other information can be found at the ECB website.

From 22^nd September to 19^th October 2014 the National Republican Guard (GNR) will be carrying out “Operation – Senior Security 2014”  aimed at raising awareness of the elderly population,  in order to prevent them becoming victims of fraud and theft in homes and enhance the feeling of security. 

During operation, the 3761 GNR officers will conduct various awareness raising activities, through personal contacts and actions through seminars and the distribution of leaflets with safety advice and contact details of various authorities in case of emergency or where help maybe required.

Taking into account the introduction of the new € 10 note, (the “Europa” series), on 23^rd September the GNR will be bringing this to the attention of the elderly through the distribution of leaflets on the subject.

It is aimed that the operation will reach around 34,000 people.

With cybercrime being the largest growing crime with an estimated annual global cost of  US$338 billion through fraud and lost time, it is important that we are more aware of the threats and what preventive steps can be taken to minimize the risk.

Safe Communities Algarve is therefore organizing in a conjunction with the Polícia Judiciária (Judicial Police) a series of Computer Security seminars for residents, the first two which will take place on 24^th and 30^th September 2014 in Quinta do Lago, Loule and Tavira respectively.

The key note speakers are Inspector Ricardo Valadas and Jim Litchko.  Ricardo is a cybercrime investigator from the Polícia Judiciária Cybercrime Unit and Jim Litchko, CISSP, computer security expert, author of six cybersecurity books, Johns Hopkins University professor from the USA.  Ricardo and Jim are renowned experts in cybercrime and cybersecurity in Portugal and the United States, respectively.  Both have conducted many presentations to international audiences both here and overseas, and their approaches are very practical with excellent interaction with audiences.

Topics to be covered include: work of the Judicial Police in investigating cybercrime in Portugal; work of the FCCN; technical developments; child pornography; cyber-attacks and preventing such attacks; types of on-line fraud; Ransomware and Phishing attacks; on-line transactions and the use of credit cards; and, cost-effective and practical preventative counter-measures.  Details of the program which may include other speakers will be published shortly.

We are pleased that there will be a representative from the Mayor of Loule’s office attending on 24^th and the Mayor of Tavira will attend the event on 30^th September.

The details and timings of the two events are as follows:

• 24^th September 1730   – 1930 hrs –  Conrad Hotel, Quinta do Lago
• 30^th September 1730  – 1930 hrs – Municipal Library, Biblioteco Municipal Alvaro de Campos, Tavira.

The events are in English and entry is free. It is planned to devote around half of the seminar to questions and answers. More details of the event and program will be published in due course on www.safecommunitiesalgarve.com.

This is likely to be heavily subscribed and seating is limited. Attendance is on a first come first served basis so if you would like to reserve seats please contact Safe Communities Algarve at info@safecommunitiesalgarve.com or on 913045093. Entry is free.

 

On 17th September the GNR on patrol arrested a 26 year man in a car in possession of a firearm following a chase in Paderne

In connection with this the GNR Albufeira conducted a search at the suspect’s house in  in  Ferreiras near Albufeira, where according to the newspaper Diario de Noticias (DN) graffiti was found on a garage wall with the word “Jihad” and the book “Osama Bin Laden, the Strategy of Terror”.

Following the GNR operation the GNR issued a statement confirming the arrest of a 26 year old man and the seizure of an automatic rifle with silencer; two revolvers; a rifle; four pistols of different calibres; an airsoft gun; a paintball gun; two airguns; a can of pepper spray; a sword; a knuckle-duster and various calibre munitions.

Also apprehended was enough narcotic product for 10,314 individual doses of hashish and 70 of marijuana, as well as other objects allegedly used in criminal activity – namely precision scales, three balaclavas, two pairs of binoculars and a crowbar”.

According to the DN a source had told the paper that although there was no concrete evidence that the man “was entering a process of terrorist radicalisation”, but because of the international context – and because Portugal is known to have a number of citizens fighting for the Islamic State in Syria – police took no chances.

While DN claims that PJ police and SIS (security service) consider the jihadist link tenuous, they have now set about trying to analyse the situation.

Since 2013, SIS has been monitoring “around 10 jihadists with Portuguese passports”, all of whom have gone to fight for the Islamic State’s army in either Mali, Syria or Iraq.

SIS has “carried out identical attention” over the movement of nationals on “jihad stages”, particularly when these coincide with regions where Al-Qaeda and its affiliates “seek to reinforce their position”, adds DN, quoting directly from the security service’s annual report.

On 11th September 2014 a massive police operation was undertaken by the Judicial Police assisted by the GNR and the Special Operations group, which led to the capture of gang leader Fabio Fernandes Santos , known as Fabio Cigano.

Fabio Cigano escaped from custody in 2013 after being arrested for kidnapping, possession of weapons and drug trafficking and was wanted in Spain for murder. He was described as very dangerous.

The operation took place in the village of Corte Pereiras near Alcoutim  close to the Spanish border. Also arrested was another person, although two escaped in a BMW. During the operation 5 kilos of hashish, two pistols, €1500 in cash and two high value cars were seized. In a follow up operation two carbines, 4 shotguns and another kilo of hashish were seized from a property in Faro.

He is currently being held in custody.

On 11^th September 2014 in the early morning GNR Albufeira arrested two Portuguese citizens aged 35 and 36 years for theft.

Whilst the GNR were on patrol in the area they were alerted by a citizen to an attempted  snatching case. Based on details of the suspects that had fled from the scene by vehicle the GNR police took action in order to intercept them. The suspect vehicle was subsequently located being driven in a dangerous manner in various in Albufeira, endangering their safety and other road users.

Eventually the vehicle was stopped and two persons were arrested and one escaped. It was found that one of the suspects had carried out a theft several hours beforehand at a business in Almancil. The stolen goods from that premise were recovered.

The two prisoners are residents of the metropolitan area of ​​Lisbon with a criminal record for crimes of robbery, drug trafficking and rape, among others. They will appear before the Public Prosecution Service of the Department of Investigation and Penal Action Albufeira for remand/reporting conditions.

Europol reported on 12th September 2014 that Spain’s Guardia Civil, working with Europol, have dismantled an organised criminal group responsible for the theft of high performance vehicles.

The operation, which began in October 2013, was coordinated by Europol and saw 26 people arrested (19 Spanish, 5 Bulgarians and 2 Moroccans) and 12 house searches conducted, resulting in the seizure of 20 vehicles, weapons and electronic equipment and tools used for the vehicle thefts.

The criminal network was made up of three distinctive cells: Bulgarian, Spanish and Moroccan. The Bulgarian cell used complex electronic devices during the vehicle thefts to deactivate the vehicle alarm systems. The cell would then transfer the vehicles to a warehouse in Madrid and bring in an expert from Valencia to forge the vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

Once the vehicles were prepared with false licence plates, VINs and documents, the Bulgarian cell enlisted Spanish drivers to transfer the vehicles to Bulgaria or Melilla (Morocco), paying them EUR 300 per trip. In Melilla, the Moroccan cell would receive the vehicles and sell them on.