Month: October 2016

The GNR Chaves Criminal Investigation unit arrested on 26th October in Chaves municipality, a 45-year-old man for swindling the elderly.

As part of an investigation into various fraud crimes in northeast Transmontano, where the suspect was posing as a city council officer, approaching older people with physical difficulties and precarious conditions. He then enticed them into fictitious contracts for television services, telephone and internet telecommunication operators.

A house search at the residence of the suspect was undertaken, where the GNR seized several documents related to fraud which had been carried out.

The National Republican Guard (GNR), in partnership with CTT – Correios de Portugal, will distribute throughout the national territory 50,000 magnets to help remind the elderly, to adopt security procedures in order not to be victims of crime, particularly violent situations, such as scams, thefts and robberies in their homes.

Many of these people live alone and or in isolated locations.

The high visibility magnetic card the size of a name card, also contains the details of the local GNR and makes it easier, in emergency cases, to contact them.

This is important in supporting and providing security reassurance for this age group.

The Lisbon Metropolitan Command PSP, through the Environmental Protection Brigade (BRIPA), in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Institute and Forestry (ICNF) has undertaken enforcement actions Aimed at environmental protection.

This morning another set of joint enforcement actions, directed at the traders in ivory and other animal substances in commercial areas, located at various points in Lisbon resulted in the seizure of:

41 elephant ivory pieces;

3 turtle parts, and

2 hippopotamus horns.

The actions detected four very serious environmental offenses relating to the organization of conditions, maintenance and updating of the CITES National Register and lack of Certificates CITES (Convention on Species International Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora Wild Endangered), and the amount minimum total fines amounted to 40,000.00 euros.

Illegal trade in ivory and other animal substances is a scourge that has motivated the intervention of different authorities, taking into account the devastating impact this activity has on some species, with the Lisbon Metropolitan Command highly committed to developing surveillance activities under environmental protection and, also, contribute to awakening, increasingly, environmental awareness of citizens.

 

The GNR Fiscal Action Unit, Lisbon seized yesterday, October 18, in Vendas Novas municipality, 5.5 million cigarettes, corresponding to a total value of 1.24 million euros.

The seizure occurred following a supervisory action, directed to the control of goods in circulation. The finding followed a search of a heavy goods vehicle, which was carrying rolls of toilet paper.

A man  aged 53 was arrested on suspicion of the crime of fraudulent trading in tobacco and will appear before the Judicial Court of Montemor-o-Novo.

A manhunt is underway following the fatal shooting of a GNR agent, two others seriously injured, plus the shooting of two bystanders, one of whom has since died.

On 11^th October at 0725 hrs in Cepos, two GNR agents on patrol received a report of a robbery in Cavaca, responded to the scene and located and chased the suspects. The suspects opened fire at the GNR agents and tried to escape using the vehicle of the GNR patrol vehicle to do so.

According to the GNR, following the approach of the military a GNR agent was wounded, and the other was placed in the trunk of the car that used in the patrol. This was then abandoned about five kilometers from the place at Aguiar da Beira.” It was here that the couple was found by the authorities in cardiac arrest.

An agent was shot in the legs in an area of difficult access, which prevented the ambulance from São Pedro do Sul to get to where he was. There were another two injured in serious condition

The vehicle that was following was found in Candal, where it was the scene of another shooting. The man eventually abandoned the car and escaped on foot. During this subsequent encounter another GNR agent has been shot and sent to hospital in critical condition.

The perimeter search was extended. The number who participated in the assault is currently unknown> Police authorities have launched a major operation to capture suspects between Aveiro and Spain. The neighbouring country has been informed and has set up road blocks

The incident is still ongoing with several hundred agents involved in the search, accompanied by helicopters, warned concerning the crime and is on alert.

Authorities were able to recover the service weapon of one of the soldiers shot and that was stolen by the suspect. The suspect Pedro Dias Arouca, is being sought is armed and highly dangerous.

On 6^th October the GNR Criminal Investigation (NIC) of Ponte da Barca returned a backpack with 25,000 euros to the owner of Spanish nationality, who had lost it at the Vodafone Festival Paredes de Coura.

On August 22, 2016, at 01:30 hours, soldiers from the Territorial Office of Paredes de Coura, while patrolling the area surrounding the enclosure Vodafone Paredes de Coura Festival, which had ended the previous day, located on the access road to the campsite, an abandoned backpack containing 25,000 euros.

The documentation that was in the bag however was insufficient to identify the owner, although there was an indication that he/she was a provider of catering services. In Spain. The GNR Criminal Investigation Unit Ponte da Barca initiated steps with its Spanish counterpart, the Guardia Civil, in order to try and trace the owner.

Eventually they were able to do so and the goods returned to him.

Comment – A lucky man!.

On 9^th October the GNR Territorial Command Lisbon, through the Criminal Investigation Unit of Mafra, arrested, in the town of Mafra, four persons for illegal stay in the country.

The arrests took place in the context of an investigation into pimping since 2015.

The searches took place in a setting of a nightlife area involving three residences in the town of Malvern. As a result of the searches the following was seized:

• 8309 euros in cash;
• Five mobile phones;
• Several materials and related documentation connected with pimping.
• Various documentation for PayPal receipts.

The operation involved 37 military from criminal investigation units, territorial, and intervention units and the canine unit. The Magistrate of the Public Prosecutor at the Lisbon District West, area accompanied police during the operation.

The detainees will be brought to the Court of Sintra during the day

On 11^th October the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), following an investigation into a network of citizens from Eastern Europe, suspected of carrying out burglaries in homes, arrested six persons through executing judicial arrest warrants and conducted searches in Viseu, Ovar, Vila Nova de Gaia, Santa Marta de Penaguião and Régua.

Under the operation “Lockpick” an additional three persons were made defendants and a large amount of money, various valuables, including jewellery, false documents and various tools designed to break in to houses seized..

The criminal organization of international nature which was dismantled, is part of the so-called “Mafia of Thieves in Law”, comprising Caucasus crime professionals working throughout Europe.

Acting in concert, the criminal group entered Portugal and remained here, operating from north to south, specializing in the opening of all types of locks used inside homes, taking their money and high value objects.

In operation “lockpick” 40 operational SEF staff were deployed, with the collaboration of PSP in their geographical areas through the execution of warrants.

The detainees will be brought to the Judge of the Criminal Court of Lisbon Central, in view of the judicial examination and application of enforcement measures.

Police in the western Indian city of Thane have arrested more than 750 people suspected of defrauding US citizens from a fake call centre.

Officers say the suspects obtained lists of US tax defaulters and used threats to obtain their bank details.

The scam is said to have netted more than $150,000 (£118,000) a day, making it one of the biggest frauds in India’s history.

Thane police officials said they were contacting the FBI to ask for help.

Some 70 of those detained were formally arrested, police said, with the rest released pending further inquiries. Nine people believed to have led the scam have been identified.

The scammers pretended to be members of the US Internal Revenue Service, and told victims they owed back taxes.

In some cases, the victims were duped into buying gift vouchers from different companies and bullied into revealing voucher ID numbers, police said.

The scammers then made purchases with the voucher numbers.

Police say those involved in the scam at the Indian end retained 70% of the earnings, with 30% going to their US collaborators.

Paramvir Singh, the police commissioner of Thane, told reporters that 851 hard disks, high-end servers, and other electronic equipment had been seized.

Mr Singh said overnight raids on Wednesday had lasted well into the morning, and involved more than 200 policemen who had raided buildings in three locations in the city.

Thane police superintendent Mahesh Patil told BBC Hindi that the investigation could open up cases from other countries as well.

The GNR Military Territorial Command of Madeira through its Coastal Control, tax and customs, units seized on 4^th October, during a surveillance operation, 1.3 kilograms of cocaine, equivalent to 6500 doses.

The 1.3 kilos of cocaine was found beside the sea coast, and was seized by the GNR accordingly.

This apprehension follows the seizure carried out in the same way last weekend, on 1 and 2 October, when 51 kilos of cocaine, equivalent to 255,000 doses, was apprehended.