Year: 2019

High quantity” of cocaine was seized by the Judiciary Police on a vessel that sailed in the Atlantic Ocean. The “Tuga” operation, carried out by the National Unit to Combat Narcotics Traffic, had the support of the Navy and the Air Force, was launched “in the last days”, in the context of the fight against drug trafficking, by sea, and to the detention of 11 persons of various nationalities.

In a statement, the PJ informs that the boat in question was logistical support. “In this action, it was possible to locate and then intercept, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a logistical support vessel for the high seas, which was being used to transport a high amount of cocaine,” police said.

“In addition to the drug, which had as its final destination the European continent, the authorities seized the vessel and various equipment used by the criminal organization, namely navigation and telecommunications equipment,” adds the note from the PJ.

 

On 22^nd January the GNR Fiscal Action Unit (UAF), through the Detachment of Tax Action of Évora, in collaboration with the Évora Traffic Detachment, on January 22, seized 12,230 kilos of tobacco on the A6 motorway, near the border of Caia .

Following an action to control goods in circulation, the military detected a heavy goods vehicle carrying several boxes containing fine-cut tobacco, without being accompanied by any type of commercial or customs documentation.

This resulted in the seizure of tobacco and the detention of the driver, a man of 48 years, due to the suspicion of the crime of fraud.

The fine-cut tobacco seized would produce more than 12 million cigarettes, corresponding to a value of fraud to the State, for non-payment of the Special Consumption Tax and VAT, estimated at 2.5 million euros.

Campaign “Portugal Calls” starts today and intends to mobilize the community against the fires. The initiative of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fire (AGIF) is an appeal to the protection of the country.

The danger is there and it is up to us all to act until the summer, clearing the land, taking care of the land and the forest, carrying out the burns correctly, registering the land, protecting the villages and warning of risky behaviour,”This campaign has Portugal calls for all!

More information on the PortugalChama website

Mobilise to change behaviour before summer arrives

It is in the hands of all of us to contribute to a Portugal to be protected from serious rural fires.

“Portugal calls” is the National Campaign with the seal of the Portuguese Republic, which integrates the participation of all the governed areas and supervised services involved in the prevention and combating rural fires and which will air tomorrow, on television, radio, press, digital and billboards.

“Portugal calls” is much more than a campaign, it is a call to action, which launches a challenge to each of the population to mobilize and contribute to a country protection from serious rural fires. The danger is there and it is up to us all to act by Summer, clearing the land, taking care of the land and the forest, performing the registering of the land, protecting the villages and alerting people of the risk.

Emotion and action

The first movie that will air tomorrow is very strong and emotional and reminds us difficult times, but it challenges us all to play an active and decisive role. Each one is part of the solution. Then, throughout the year, films, radio spots, billboards, Press releases and distributed leaflets, along with the website and a number of mobilization of citizens to:

Value the forest, nature, land

Caring for the earth

Modify behaviour

We want to reach all citizens and believe in a strong regional campaign.

We can all make happen differently on the ground, in each region, county, parish, village.

“Portugal Chama. For you. For all”.

The government is in the “phase of completion” of the bill that will allow police officers to use video cameras in their uniforms – the so-called bodyguards – something that has been claimed by the PSP itself and which is already happening in many European countries and in most US states.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that “the proposed law to change the legal regime governing the use of video surveillance systems by security forces is in the final stages.” concerning the use of designated bodies by members of the security forces, whose use is also subject to regulation “.

The government also adds that the National Data Protection Commission “will be heard” during the legislative process that will follow.

PSP considers that this type of equipment is fundamental for the safety of its agents and the public, and its images are important for the determination of the facts.

The PSP National Directorate has already asked that the Amadora division (where troubled neighbourhoods such as Cova da Moura, Estrela d’África) be a pioneer in the use of this equipment, in a pilot project preparatory for the expansion of this type of equipment.

“For us, these chambers are fundamental for proving both the bad behaviour of the police and the citizens and have an undeniable deterrent effect to attempts to manipulate the facts,” explained the source of the National Directorate of PSP to DN.

Police already have equipment purchased, according to trade union representatives, who already use it in specific situations during training.

What is still lacking is legislative regulation.

That was admitted Tuesday by the minister of Internal Affairs, Eduardo Cabrita, when he commented on the cases of violence with police of the last days, triggered by the images of aggressions in the Barrio de Jamaica, in Seixal.

 

More than a third of complaints by security forces were related to physical offences

The General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) received 860 complaints against the actions of the security forces in 2018, the highest figure of the last seven years, according to data from the agency sent to the agency Lusa.

The PSP is the security force with the largest number of complaints, with 477 entries against the actions of PSP agents in 2018, followed by the GNR with 270, the Foreigners and Borders Service , with 36, and other entities supervised by the Ministry of Internal Administration (25).

The number of complaints filed in that body that supervises the police action increased by 11.3% in 2018 compared to the previous year (an additional 88).

According to data provided to Lusa, the IGAI received 5,437 complaints in seven years. In 2012, there were 817 complaints, which rose to 830 in 2013 and dropped to 711 in 2014.

In the following year they rose again to 717, in 2016 they increased to 730, rising again in 2017 to 772 and last year they again increased to 860.

The denunciations that came to the attention of the IGAI in 2018 essentially through complaints filed by judicial bodies (431), citizens (213) and anonymous (116).

According to the IGAI, more than a third of the complaints of security forces were related to physical offenses, with a total of 255, of which 172 were addressed to elements of the PSP and 73 to the GNR military.

The violation of general duties related to incorrect procedures or behaviours practiced by police motivated 175 participations (20.3%) of the IGAI last year, and there are also 251 complaints that include the category of domestic violence.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) has also registered 52 complaints of matters of an internal or professional nature, 44 of abuse of authority, 66 of violations of special duties related to illegalities and omissions, six for discriminatory practices, three for illegal detention and two for death, with no details on these cases.

PSP leads all types of complaints, except for matters of an internal or professional nature, which was the GNR.

During the past year, that body protected by the MAI processed 1,483 complaints against police, 623 of which transited from 2017 and 860 were filed in 2018.

Of the 1,483 complaints analysed, the IGAI concluded 874, having filed 609 cases for this year, converted to disciplinary proceedings four and filed 765 for lack of infringement or evidence, and 609 disciplinary proceedings are ongoing in the security forces and services and institutions.

IGAI’s mission is to ensure the audit, inspection and inspection functions of all the entities, services and bodies covered by the MAI.

Eduardo Cabrita talked about the incidents of the last days in Lisbon and Setúbal. Minister said it was “under consideration” for police to be able to use video cameras in their uniforms.

Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said on Tuesday he had “all the confidence” in the police, considering that “tranquility and serenity” are essential when there are incidents such as those registered in recent days in the districts of Lisbon and Setubal

“I have every confidence in the Portuguese police, all confidence in the police and all the certainty that, as is always the case, the circumstances under consideration will be evaluated in the ongoing investigation,” the official told reporters in Faro when asked about possible excesses on the part of the police.

The PSP reinforced on Tuesday the policing with elements of the Special Police Unit in Bela Vista, Setúbal, and in some areas of Loures and Odivelas (district of Lisbon), after incidents recorded during the night, with the launch of Molotov cocktails against a squadron and the burning of crates and cars.

The minister of Home Affairs, who was speaking to journalists after a four-hour meeting with local authorities, at the headquarters of the Intermunicipal Communities of the Algarve (AMAL) in Faro, also said that “the police may be able to use camcorders on the uniforms.

By classifying the incidents recorded as “specific phenomena”, Eduardo Cabrita stressed that “tranquility and serenity” are essential and ensured that “all matters that can be integrated in the framework of the investigation opened on the same day will be clarified.”

In a statement, PSP said it was continuing investigations into the incidents of the dawn of this Tuesday,

The inspectors of the Judicial Police will be on strike for seven days in early February along with the remaining PJ staff, the Trade Union of Criminal Investigation Officials (ASFIC / PJ) revealed on Tuesday 22^nd January at a press conference.

The PJ inspectors decided to stop several hours a day in the first week of February (from 4 to 8) and on days 11 and 12 like the rest of the PJ staff.

Thus, the three trade union structures, which represent inspectors, security guards and administrative staff, decided to strike a strike from 00:00 hours on February 4 to 12:00 midnight on a rotating basis.

Between the 4th and the 5th, there is a stoppage of all the work to be done in the prevention unit and all the work outside normal working hours.

On 21^st January 2019 the Prime Minister António Costa presided over the installation of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fire (AGIF), at the Centre for Forest Operations and Techniques, at a ceremony attended by the Ministers of National Defence, Gomes Cravinho, Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, Deputy and Economy, Siza Vieira, Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, Environment and Energy Transition, Matos Fernandes, and Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Capoulas Santos.

The members of the Government visited the Centre for Forest Operations and Techniques and participated in a meeting of the integrated Management of Rural Fire Management System , prior to the installation of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fire (AGIF), chaired by Tiago Oliveira.

The Prime Minister recalled that there had been, especially since 2006, ‘a distraction that can not be restored’ with regard to forest and rural fires. The Government approved the structural reform of the forest and also several measures (some of which are published in the Diário da República today ).

We can never be rested

António Costa said that “we can never be rested in relation to the risks of fire that exist”, especially as climate change has increased in recent years the protection conditions of the Portuguese forest as well as the populations.

“There is a global problem of climate change that has aggravated the conditions for the outbreak of fires, where desertification of the interior territories and forest disorganization already led to the occurrence of fires,” he said.

Therefore, the Government enforced the Fire Prevention Act, especially during the winter, and strengthened the whole system to improve fire-fighting interventions, in particular preventing them from reaching large proportions.

António Costa pointed out that for this year the Government has reserved 360 million euros for actions of prevention, surveillance and firefighting, of which about 158 ​​million euros are for prevention, beginning on the 25th the information and warning campaign, called ‘Portugal chama!’.

AGIF, headquartered in Lousã, will have 18 employees, distributed throughout the mainland’s other intermunicipal communities, which constitute the main network of the Integrated Management System for Rural Fire.

About a hundred people, allegedly residents of the Jamaican Quarter, in Seixal, Setúbal, demonstrated on Monday afternoon 21st January in protest in front of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), in Praça do Comércio, in Lisbon, for say “enough” to police violence and “down with racism.”

At 1715 hours demonstrators demobilized from the area in front of the MAI in Commerce Square, but continued in downtown Lisbon and there were several incidents, with police firing rubber bullets into the air in the roundabout area the Marquis of Pombal and Avenida da Liberdade, to disperse the protesters because some individuals threw some stones at police officers and even at civilian vehicles.

During these actions four demonstrators were detained.

After the incidents quieted the PSP, told reporters that the bullets were shot “in the air” in response to the stone throwing by the protesters.

A spokesman for the PSP said that when police “tried to lead the demonstrators in order to free one of the Avenida da Liberdade avenues to allow the circulation of the cars” they started throwing stones at the agents who “had to intervene”.

The same source said that some police suffered “minor injuries.

The demonstration was called through social networks like Facebook, by the Black Consciousness movement.

The PSP has reported that on 21^st January, at 21:40, two cars were burned in Odivelas and two others in Póvoa de Santo Adrião, using molotov cocktails.

Subsequently, 11 garbage bins were burned and destroyed, in this sequence, 5 vehicles, in the area surrounding the Bairro da Cidade Nova, were also burned using Molotov cocktails.

As a result, the Public Security Police carried out investigations and investigations resulting in the interception of four suspects, and an 18-year-old man was detained after being recognized by witnesses as one of the perpetrators using the incendiary devices.

Later, at 03:15 am, in Bela Vista, Setúbal, 3 Molotov cocktails were launched against the PSP squadron building. There were no injuries recorded but there were damages in the squad and in a civilian vehicle. Suspects of this criminal action have not yet been identified.

The Public Security Police continues investigations into these incidents, indicating nothing so far as they are associated with the demonstration that took place yesterday in Terreiro do Paço, where four people were arrested after stones were thrown at the PSP at a protest rally against acts of alleged police violence on Sunday in Jamaica’s Seixal neighbourhood. See earlier post.

The Security Police stresses that the security climate has been restored in the areas mentioned above, being  reinforced by police resources in the places, ensuring tranquility and normality to all residents.