The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 20th December 2023
by Mike Evans
A very warm welcome and as this is the last report before the Festive holidays can I on behalf of all of our volunteers wish you all a very Safe Christmas and a Secure New Year.
Throughout the year we have tried to bring you the latest news and information about all things safety and security. We will continue to do this as we take a break and will return in the New year. Follow our Facebook pages for all the latest up to date news from the whole country and abroad.
As we approach the festive season please be aware that there will be more people on our roads and the dangers this brings are already showing with a tragic accident in the Algarve in the past week which saw the death of one man and injuries to three others as a car was hit by a train on a level crossing. Our sympathies go out to the victims of this accident.
If you are in need of hospital treatment over the Christmas period there will inevitably be some services that are restricted and we post details of these further in this bulletin.
Here is a round up of some of the stories from across the Algarve in the past week.
Four people in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking
Four people were in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, after five individuals were arrested on 13 December, announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The Territorial Command of Faro, through the Criminal Investigation Unit, detained a woman and four men aged between 19 and 43 years, after an investigation that lasted just over a year.
In July of this year, 17 people had already been arrested, subject to the coercive measure of preventive detention, in addition to more than 20 thousand doses of drugs having been seized.
Meanwhile, the GNR executed four arrest warrants and 15 search warrants, 10 of which were at homes, three at vehicles and two at a prison establishment.
During these investigations, it was possible to dismantle a drug trafficking network that operated in the region, mainly in the municipalities of São Brás de Alportel, Loulé, Faro, Olhão and Tavira.
195 doses of hashish, 21 doses of cocaine, 12 doses of cannabis, a small amount of cannabis grinding, a precision scale, eleven rounds of ammunition, two knives, several pieces of gold, a television, a laptop, 12 cell phones and 8633 euros in cash.
Three women and a man aged between 23 and 77 were also charged with drug trafficking.
The five detainees were present, on December 17th, at the Judicial Court of Faro, resulting in the application of the coercive measure of preventive detention to four detainees, one woman and three men, with the other male detainee being the measure of coercion of periodic appearances at the police station in the area of residence is applied to him.
Man killed as train rams car at Olhão level crossing
A man died and three people were injured after a collision between a train and a car at a level crossing in Quelfes, municipality of Olhão, on Saturday night.
According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, a car was rammed by a train at the Marim level crossing.
It was later confirmed that the man who had sustained serious injuries, aged 32 and of Portuguese nationality, had died in hospital. The three other people in the car, all Brazilian and aged 38, 41 and 43, sustained minor injuries.
Fisherman dies at Ponta da Carrapateira in Aljezur
A 58-year-old fisherman died this morning, December 15th, after allegedly leaving home to fish in the Ponta da Carrapateira área, in the municipality of Aljezur, with the causes of the incident unknown. , said the National Maritime Authority (AMN). Following an alert, from the victim’s friends, at 11:50 p.m., stating that the fisherman “had not returned from his fishing activity on foot”, searches were immediately initiated at the location by members of the local command. from the Maritime Police of Lagos, from the Volunteer Firefighters of Aljezur, supported by a drone and people who were in the area, which were interrupted in the early hours of the morning due to poor visibility , details AMN in a statement.
Search operations were resumed at 07:00, which were joined by crew members from the Sagres Lifeguard Station. The body was found this morning in an area “very difficult for people to access”, having been confirmed by the Aljezur Volunteer Firefighters drone. The victim was removed from the tidal zone and later transported by the Lifeguard Station crew to the Sagres Lifeguard Station pier, where he was declared dead by the Health Delegate.
After contact with the Public Ministry, the body will be transported to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão.
The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.
The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took charge of the incident.
Drug trafficker arrested and cannabis greenhouse dismantled
A 39-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, December 13th, for drug trafficking in the municipality of Silves, he announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The arrest was made by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Silves Criminal Investigation Center, which had been investigating the suspect for around four months.
These investigations ended with the execution of three search warrants, one at home, another in a vehicle and also in a ruined building located in São Bartolomeu de Messines.
Inside this ruined building, a cannabis greenhouse was set up, which was dismantled, in addition to seizing 24 doses of marijuana, 48 dried and harvested cannabis plants, three bottles of hashish oil, 11 syringes of hashish oil, two cell phones and two laptops.
The detainee was named a defendant and will be present at the Portimão Judicial Court.
Body found floating near fishing dock pier
The body of a 57-year-old man of Guinean nationality was found on the morning of this Thursday, December 14th, floating next to the pier of the fishing dock, announced the National Maritime Authority in Portimão. Until now, the causes of this occurrence are unknown, the alert was given at 11:20, and members of the local command of the Maritime Police of Portimão, the Volunteer Firefighters of Lagoa, the Volunteer Firefighters of Portimão were immediately activated to the scene. and INEM.
The body was detected with the help of a member of the public who was in that area and removed from the water by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters to the pier, where death was declared by the INEM medical team.
After being contacted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was transported to Portimão Hospital by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters.
The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.
The local command of the Portimão Maritime Police took charge of the incident.
Man Arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking
A 30-year-old citizen was arrested in Lagos on suspicion of committing the crime of drug trafficking, announced the Public Security Police ( PSP). The arrest was made by the Lagos Police Station, after police investigations and collection of evidence of several drug transactions in various areas of the city , to a large number of consumers.
After the arrest, a home search and four non-home searches were carried out, where 523 doses of cocaine, 816 doses of heroin, 27 doses of hashish, four ecstasy tablets, two doses of cannabis and around four thousand euros were seized.
Various preparation and packaging material for subsequent sale to consumers was also seized. The suspect had already been convicted of drug trafficking and was brought before a Criminal Investigation Judge.
Until the New year have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.