The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 17th April 2024
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all in the Algarve or beyond. We start this report by reiterating our advice we have been putting out on Facebook for the last couple of weeks about the dangers of getting too close to the Ocean when walking along rocks or beaches as well as the danger of Rip Currents which are prevalent around our coastline.
Yesterday, the AMN, National Maritime Authority, once again, warned of the dangers of the sea, which is still very cold, despite the warmer temperatures we have all felt over the past few days. This weekend alone, more than 200 rescues were carried out and four people disappeared into the sea having been swept away. The AMN has issued some instructions for people travelling to the beach. They say that it is necessary to permanently monitor children and do not allow them to move away, always keeping them close to an adult”, “avoid risky behaviour, not approaching the water or walking on wet sand” and “do not turn your back on the sea and always offer a safe distance in relation to the waterline, avoiding being surprised by a wave.
If you witness any dangerous situation in the water, the Maritime Authority advises you not to enter the water and ask for help by calling 112.
This week also saw some good news for the Algarve in that the threat of drought has lifted slightly with all the rain we saw earlier this month and at the end of March. This news came from the IPMA in their monthly bulletin. A lot of rain was also reflected in the levels of the Algarve dams, although it is still too early to let our guard down when it comes to saving water.
Now a look at what else has been happening across the region in the past week.
Man suspected of killing pastry factory owner in Albufeira arrested
A 40-year-old man, suspected of having killed the owner of a traditional pastry factory in October 2019, in Albufeira, has now been arrested, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced this Sunday, April 14th. According to the PJ, the victim “was approached inside the company’s premises, being surprised on an occasion when he was alone”. After being violently attacked, the man was tied and gagged, eventually dying. Those who found him, already dead, were employees of the company he ran.
The reason for the crime, according to the PJ, was the “theft of large amounts of money that the victim kept in the company and in the adjacent residence”.
Woman after falling from a cliff next to the beach in Vila do Bispo
A 26-year-old woman, of German nationality, died this Monday afternoon, April 15th, after falling from a cliff, next to Rebolinhos beach, in the municipality of Vila do Bispo.
According to the National Maritime Authority (AMN), the young woman may have lost her balance while taking photographs.
The alert was given at 1:30 p.m., with crew members from the Sagres Life Saving Station and members of the Lagos Maritime Police Local Command moving to the scene.
When they arrived at the scene, the young woman was already dead. After authorization from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was collected and transported by the crew from the Lifeguard Station to the Port of Baleeira, where death was declared by the doctor from the Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle (VMER)», emphasises the AMN.
The victim was then transported to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão, by members of the Vila do Bispo Volunteer Fire Department.
The Psychology Office of the Maritime Police and INEM were activated and are providing support to the victim’s companion.
The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took charge of the incident.
British Man found dead inside Albufeira holiday apartment
A British man aged around 35 has been found dead inside a holiday apartment in a closed condominium in Albufeira.
According to CMTV, the man was reportedly on holiday with a friend whose whereabouts are unknown. Firefighters and INEM emergency services provided assistance to the victim but his death was pronounced on the spot.
GNR were the first police force at the scene but the investigation has been taken over by PJ criminal police.
PJ arrested woman for kidnapping, robbery and money laundering
The Southern Directorate of the Judiciary Police (PJ) detained a 32-year-old foreign citizen, as part of an investigation into crimes of kidnapping, robbery, possession of a prohibited weapon and money laundering, committed in the Loulé and Albufeira area , in August 2023.
The arrest, related to a group that kidnapped a man in Almancil, follows a joint investigation by the PJ with the Spanish police authorities – Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Mossos d’Esquadra) and Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (CNP) – , which culminated, in December 2023, in the arrest of seven men and two women.
The criminal actions carried out in Portugal consisted of the kidnapping of an 82-year-old Portuguese citizen, on August 24, 2023, in the Almancil area. “The victim, subjected to extortion, suffered violent attacks and threats, using firearms, and the amount of around 100 thousand euros was taken from him, through transfers from his bank accounts to various accounts opened by the detainees, with resort to false documentation. Finally, they tied the 82-year-old man to a tree, in an isolated place, so that he would not be discovered. However, the victim managed to free himself. The injuries resulted in the need to receive hospital treatment”, explained the PJ in a statement. For those detained in Spanish territory, aged between 21 and 43, with a criminal record for theft crimes in Spain, the coercive measure of preventive detention was applied.
The searches carried out in December last year resulted in the seizure of significant evidence, namely a firearm, replicas of firearms used in criminal actions, as well as material intended for counterfeiting and falsifying identification documents and, also, false documentation. Two Portuguese-registered vehicles that had been stolen in our country were also recovered.
The foreign citizen detained by the PJ was present for the first judicial interrogation, and the coercive measure of preventive detention was applied to her.
Man detained in Faro for possession of a weapon and drug trafficking
The Faro PSP District Command arrested a man for possession of a prohibited weapon and drug trafficking, this Monday, April 15th. Another individual was also identified for stealing a wallet .
The arrest occurred following patrolling actions carried out in the downtown area of Faro, using various means and police skills, with the aim of guaranteeing a “feeling of security for all citizens who travel there”.
“On Monday afternoon, the PSP was informed of the theft of a wallet in that area, and it was possible to collect the physical description of the suspect, which was promptly communicated to all police officers on duty”, explains the police force. Two individuals were located by a team from the Intervention Corps patrolling the area, one of whom was in possession of an extendable baton, approximately 24 doses of hashish and money.
The other man who was approached by the Police was in possession of the wallet and its contents – bank cards, cash and other documents – items that were seized and handed over to their rightful owner.
According to the statement, the PSP of Faro highlights the importance of immediate communication of all criminal incidents, with the aim of identifying their perpetrators and recovering possible stolen goods.
Head-on collision in Almancil leaves two injured
A Head-on collision between two light vehicles this Monday 15 April, on the EN125, in Almancil, left two injured. The alert was given at 9:41 am and the road was impassable until 11:30 am.
Speaking to JA, a source from the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, he revealed that two women, aged 25 and 36, were injured, with minor injuries. Both were transported to Faro Hospital.
There were 24 operatives on site, supported by 10 vehicles.
Silves Orange Growers ask for more water for Irrigation
Orange producers in Silves, in the Algarve, are worried because they are still unable to irrigate. They ask for relief from the cuts in water consumption enacted during the drought period because they consider that the situation has improved.
The Algarve’s water reserves are already two and a half times above the scenario that determined the supply cuts at the beginning of the year, but citrus growers in Silves are still unable to irrigate.
The Arade Dam, which serves them, is the only one in the country that remains in the red classification, because rainwater was retained upstream in a dam dedicated to public supply. It is up to the Permanent Drought Commission to review the restrictions framework, but with the new Government taking office, the meeting scheduled for this month does not yet have a scheduled date.
The dam is at 18% capacity and has the least quantity in the country, not enough to guarantee two months of irrigation in the summer .
Anxiety among farmers is growing, regarding the cuts to supply that were determined at the beginning of the year.
Have a safe week and enjoy the sunshine.