On 19th November in the morning the controlled blasting operation overhanging slope Fajã ranch in Camara de Lobos, commenced as planned..
The operation is being carried out by the GIPS – Intervention Group Protection and Rescue of GNR, with support of mountain rescue team of firefighters Câmara de Lobos Volunteers, using mechanical injection to collapse the bedrock which is at risk of detachment.
On 18th November the GNR in Ponta Delgada, Azores, seized 10,000 bees in the context of supervisory action regarding the importing of live animals into the autonomous region
The GNR said In a statement, that, ” in the absence of any entry permit documentation in the Azores, and considering that the recipient of the bees is not registered as a beekeeper, the bees were seized as a precautionary measure.
The inspection was conducted with the support of the veterinarian of Agrarian Development Service of the island of São Miguel, in which the bees were delivered.
The GNR are investigating the theft and attempted theft from two elderly women, one in Sintra and the other in Mafra, which maybe related.
On 16th November a woman aged over 70 years in Sintra opened her door to a stranger. She was then locked in a room whilst the culprit fled with her mobile phone.
The day before an elderly in Mafra (20 kms away) was approached by a person stating that her bank notes were out of date. Feeling something suspicious she called the GNR and the person fled empty handed.
Comment
This is one of many scams that criminals adopt in targeting elderly people in their homes. Neighbours should be on the look out for strangers approaching the elderly in their homes and should report such suspicions to the police accordingly.
The Director General of prisons stated recently that the prison population stood at 13,937 (15th Nov) compared with the official maximum of 12,600 places.
Of these 84.2% had been convicted and serving sentences, whereas the remainder were on remand pending trial. The Director General added that the figure had stabalised recently under the 14,000 mark.
Comment
At the 31st December 2015, the figure stood at 14,222 including 2303 under remand.
The Judicial Police, through the National Unit to Combat Drug Trafficking (UNCTE), following an investigation which started in the middle of this year, carried out an operation against drug trafficking. This resulted in the detection and dismantling of a sophisticated cannabis plantation consisting of two greenhouses located in a large warehouse in the district of Lisbon. A total of about six hundred plants were seized.
Both greenhouses were – equipped with the necessary equipment for growing, under optimal conditions, large amounts of cannabis plants. The plantations included, in particular air circulation apparatus, fans, large amounts of ballast and lamp of 600W power and corresponding power supplies, ventilation sleeves, carbon filters and fertilizers which were all seized.
During the operations four men, two of whom aged 38 and 39 years old, were arrested and presented to the competent judicial authorities for the application of appropriate enforcement measures.
According to information gathered during the investigation, the four defendants, all foreign nationals without known lawful employment, were part of an organized criminal group that used the country for cultivation of considerable amounts of cannabis leaf, which after drying was exported to several countries in northern Europe, where it was marketed.
The investigation remains the responsibility of the Judicial Police in collaboration with Europol and other European authorities.
On 11th November 2016 the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Madeira, Susana Prada announced in the Madeira Regional Parliament that the Government will proceed with a fire prevention plan that involves the expropriation of forest land.
She stated that from September, government has prepared a project to be implemented from January 2017”, adding that is expected to expropriate forest land, remove eucalyptus and other invasive plants, introduce endemic and more fire resistant species, create new access and build several water reservoirs.
The Secretary explained that the Government will intervene in private land that was affected by the fires with measures of “recovery and reforestation” and, on the other hand, will carry out the conversion of plant cover of which suffered no damage.”She said that this is a long term strategy as what we are doing in terms of spatial planning will only be visible in a few tens of years”, she warned, noting that a 40 year-old tree is still a young tree.
On 9th November 2016, GNR Madeira seized, 1.3 kilos of cocaine, the equivalent of 6 500 doses of this narcotic product, near the coast of the Deserta Grande Island.
During a surveillance operation undertaken in the territorial waters of Madeira, the narcotic product was seized and delivered to the Judicial Police of Funchal.
This seizure adds to similar seizures made in October, which amount to 52 kilos of cocaine.
GNR Setúbal, in collaboration with the Fiscal Action Unit, detained, on 7th November, 13 men for cork theft, prescription, tax fraud and possession of prohibited weapons.
The action was carried out as part of an investigation that took place over the last by DIAP Setúbal. Twelve arrest warrants were carried out and 23 home searches were executed in the districts of Setúbal (Grândola, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra and Setúbal).
In addition to the arrests, the following was seized:
This operation involved those involved in the criminal investigation and maintenance of public order, with the support of the Intervention Unit, and also counted on the two searches carried out in the area of responsibility of the Public Security Police, with the collaboration of its District Command of Setúbal and its Special Police Unit.
The detainees are now being brought to court.
PSP Regional command of Madeira has reported that, in the context of the recent activity developed in the operational aspects of crime prevention and police surveillance in the municipalities of Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos, they had identified 13 subjects related to illicit activities and seized a quantity of illegal narcotics (Hash).
The actions of police surveillance focused on four commercial establishments, associated with repeated irregularities declared punishable by fine, and these were referred to municipal and regional authorities for appropriate measures.
A quantity of hash, enough for 9 single doses of daily consumption,( according to legal procedure), was also seized.
On 21st October 2016 the Regional command of the PSP Madeira, reported that in the context of various operations of crime prevention developed by police division of Funchal, they had arrested and identified various individuals for various crimes and contraventions.
According to the statement, PSP Funchal conducted highly visible and prevention operations aimed at educational establishments in the municipality, during which they arrested two individuals, students, aged between 17 to 19 years, on suspicion of drug trafficking.
This police action resulted in the seizure of 95 single doses of products suspected of being “Pollen of hash” and 53 euros in cash.
In another operation, carried out on 22nd and 23rd October, in Funchal in coordination with the criminal investigation unit of Câmara de Lobos and the police intervention unit of Funchal, the PSP detained 4 individuals, three male and a female, aged between 19 and 30, all residents of the municipality of Funchal, heavily indicted fordrug trafficking.
This action of the PSP, resulted in the seizure of about 775 single doses of product suspected of being “hash”.
In the wake of the procedural steps, particularly in the context of house searches, it was possible to seize more than 16 euros in cash, two cars and 7 items of telecommunications equipment.
All detainees were made defendants and submitted to the competent judicial authorities, resulting measures of constraint that ranged from the term of identity and residence and biweekly presentations, whilst the criminal case continues.
The Regional command of PSP Madeira recommends that all citizens if and when they are aware of suspicious situations or related to the practice of illicit activities, contact as soon as possible by any means, any station of PSP in order to trigger Police action in good time and for the sake of a better service to the community.