Month: February 2017

As a result of investigations carried out by the PSP in the Ribeira Brava municipality, two firearms, two turret-shaped alarm guns,  a compressed air gun, about 135 rounds of ammunition of different calibres and also 4 cylinders of compressed air, have been seized.

At the same time, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos a man was detained for drug trafficking, and about 26 doses of suspected hashish, which were seized.

The detainees were made defendants and subject to expiration of their identity and residence,

In response to a heightened threat of Jihadist terrorism in Europe, following several serious terrorist incidents in recent months, an extraordinary meeting of high-ranking police representatives from the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, was held in Berlin on 7-8 February 2017.

Organised by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the European Union’s law enforcement agency Europol, almost 100 participants gathered in Berlin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider means by which to enhance the coordination of European police efforts to fight terrorism.

Key topics of discussion included the current state of the terrorist threat in Europe following the attack in Berlin in December 2016 and Paris recently, best practice methodologies for police response to terrorist incidents, and enhanced use of the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) at Europol for the purpose of increasing information sharing and operational coordination between national counter terrorism agencies. The meeting concluded to reinforce national and European arrangements for cooperation via ECTC, including through the establishment of an operational steering board of leading Member States and Europol.

Holger Münch, President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA): “Today’s terrorists are extremely mobile. They work together in international networks and take advantage of modern communication technology. We can only be successful in the fight against terrorism if all European security authorities work closely together and are coordinated by a central body. The most recent attacks in Europe have shown that, in particular, the exchange of information needs to be further enhanced and European information systems must be better coordinated. The establishment of an operational steering board at Europol is another important keystone for a strong European security network.”

Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol: “Europe is facing the most serious terrorist threat for over ten years. The increasing transnational nature of terrorist groups and their activities demand ever closer collaboration between relevant law enforcement authorities across Europe. The European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) has been established at Europol for this purpose. I am pleased by the confidence expressed in the work of this centre by the police chiefs meeting in Berlin and by their clear commitment to enhance collaboration efforts even further.”

On 8^th February Setúbal’s PSP detained seven people and seized 120 kilograms of hashish in a police operation to dismantle a network of traffickers that operated mainly in the Algarve, but also supplied drugs to Setúbal Peninsula.

Six of the seven suspects were detained in the Algarve region, notably in Lagoa, following eight home searches, which also had the collaboration of the GNR.

Setúbal’s PSP says it has completely dismantled a network of drug trafficking, hashish and cocaine, based in the Algarve and distribution in Setúbal.

The drug would be introduced in Portugal through Spain. The investigation, which began in January 2016 in Setúbal, culminated on Tuesday, with the capture of those caught in the act in the Algarve.

As far as possible, the suspects attempted to flee in high-octane vehicles in the area of ​​Vila Real de Santo António towards Spain. In the attempted escape, they threw the drugs through the window, but they were captured.

 

The operation, which culminated in an investigation by the PSP from Setúbal started about a year ago, led to the arrest of six men and one woman in their 30s and 40s.

In addition to the 120 kilograms of hashish, seven high-powered vehicles, a carbine, two shotguns, two pistols and other firearms, two bulletproof vests, gold objects, mobile phones, and about 60,000 euros , in cash.

According to Setúbal PSP commissioner Maria do Céu Viola, in July last year the police had already detained four other people, three of whom are awaiting trial in pre-trial detention, but the details were were not then released because there was still ongoing investigation .

At that time, the Setúbal PSP seized about 60 kilograms of hashish, 170 grams of cocaine and 11 thousand euros in cash.

The seven detained on Wednesday will go to the Tribunal de Setúbal in the afternoon.

Inspectors of the Aliens and Borders Service have provided training to the Algerian police on “Combating illegal immigration and trafficking in persons”.

This is part of the cooperation agreement in the field of technical-police training between the Directorate General of National Security of Algeria and the Forces and MAI Security Services.

The training took place from January 29 to February 2, 2017 at L’École de Police Dar El Beida in Algiers.

 

A woman convicted of the double murder of her daughters, aged 19 months and 4 years, on the beach of Giribita, in Oeiras, in 2016, was condemned by the Cascais Court and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In the reading of the sentence, the collective of three judges of the Court of Cascais considered that Sónia Lima “entered with the daughters in the sea with the intention to take their life”.

“The defendant acted freely, deliberately and consciously, for the purpose of taking the lives of her daughters …. and knew that it was conduct punishable by law,” said the president of the judges.

On the night of 15^th February, 2016 , Sonia Lima entered the sea on the beach of Giribita in Caxias, Oeiras municipality, with her two daughters. The warning was given by a taxi driver who stopped at the site and heard cries for help. The 19-month-old girl was still rescued alive by the rescue teams but did not respond to first aid and eventually died on the spot. The body of the four-year-old girl was only rescued on the sixth day of searches.

 

The Regional Police of the Public Security Police of Madeira  informs that as a result of an  investigation carried out by the Criminal Investigation Station of the Câmara de Lobos Police, a woman living in that municipality has been detained for drug trafficking.

The investigations carried out by the Public Security Police in different locations were able to seize approximately 420 individual doses of product suspected of being Hashish, as well as Euro 100 in cash and various material related to that criminal activity.

The detainee was constituted a defendant and subject to expiration of identity and residence.

The Regional Command of the PSP of Madeira recommends to all citizens that, whenever they have knowledge of or suspect matters concerning illicit acts, they should contact the nearest police station as soon as possible to ensure police intervention in good time and for better Service to the community.

Público has reported that the 10 arrested in connection with an operation that the PSP and the PJ held earlier this month in Amadora against violent crimes, were remanded in custody, the District Attorney General of Lisbon (PGDL) revealed.

The PGDL adds that “nine of the defendants were heavily indicted for aggravated robbery and the tenth for committing crimes of forbidden weapon possession and serious physical offenses.” According to the PGDL, the detainees were presented to the first judicial interrogation in the framework of five investigations, all of them conducted by the third section of the Amadora Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP).

The operation, which took place on 1^st February 2017, resulted from the reports by several people of thefts in the street, “including through physical force and using the weapon, as well as users of public transport road-rail , In particular the Sintra line, “explained the PSP at the time.

At the time, in a statement, the PJ reported that, in conjunction with the PSP, “it fulfilled 13 home search warrants, targeting residences located in the 6 de Maio Neighborhood, Casal da Mira, Bairro do Zambujal and Estrada Militar, all in the county Of Amadora “.

In addition to the searches carried out by the PJ, the criminal investigation squad of the Amadora PSP carried out eight more searches, including in the neighborhood of Casal da Boba in Amadora, and a residence in Mira Sintra, Sintra municipality, according to a police source.

In the course of the operations mobile phones and tablets obtained in robberies, clothes used in assaults and a replica of a weapon of war, supposedly used in armed robberies, were sized. The replica was a G36 automatic rifle, one of the weapons used by the PSP’s Special Operations Group (GOE).

The Territorial Command of Aveiro, through the Territorial Office of Águeda, stopped on 5th February, in the parish of Aguada de Cima – Águeda, two men aged 37 and 43 years, for theft of non precious metals.

The two men were arrested following a complaint by a citizen who warned that two men were found on their agricultural land burning waste. The military moved to the scene and detained the two suspects caught in the act of burning of copper wire.

More than a ton of copper wire was seized, several tools were used to cut the copper wire and a light goods truck.
The two men were constituted defendants and subject to expiration of identity and residence.

The GNR Territorial Command of Setúbal, through the Center for Research and Support to Specific Victims of Almada, inspected on 7th February, a nursing home in Quinta do Conde – Sesimbra.

In the course of investigating a domestic violence case, which took place about three months ago, it was found that the persons concerned were owners of a home that was operating illegally.

With the support of Social Security, the administrative closure of the home was decreed in 30 days.