The National Republican Guard conducted three operations during the visit of His Holiness, Pope Francis, on the occasion of the centenary of the Fatima apparitions, from May 1 to 14, namely to:

• Ensure the safety of (Operation “Pilgrimage Segura”),
• For the control of the borders (Operation “Border Guarded”, integrated in Operation “White Frontier” of the Service of Shepherds and Borders) and,
• For the prevention of incidents in the city of Fatima (Operation “Centenário”).

During the three operations, in order to fulfil the objectives, 17,336 military personnel were involved, namely:

• 8 392 in the Sanctuary of Fatima, surrounding area and access;
• 4 505 in border surveillance and control;
• 4,449 in support of pilgrims on their journey to Fatima.

Also involved in the three operations: were: 4 505 vehicles; 260 horses and 238 dogs.

Operation ” Centenary “

In Fatima, in terms of public order and  ensuring the safety of all participants in the pilgrimage and the celebrations, there was a low crime rate; only 29 crimes were reported (18 thefts by pickpocketing, one vehicle theft, four other types of robbery and six other crimes There were only five damage only traffic accidents, during the 10 days of the operation. And traffic flow was smooth, both in the city and in the accesses.

Operation “Border Guarded”

The GNR conduct of various patrols, provided surveillance along the land, sea and inland waterways, as well as at aerodromes and runways, with the aim of preventing entry into national territory of citizens, vehicles and means that could carry out or be used in hostile actions.

4 505 soldiers from various branches of the GNR carried out 1 457 border patrols, of which: 976 at border crossing points; 259 at sea borders; 166 at aerodromes and runways; 36 on river frontiers and 20 in rail transport.

The following were checked: 146 893 people; 87,833 vehicles;· 81 vessels and  20 trains.

Of these patrols, 63 people were detained in all these frontiers, especially: 34 for possession of a prohibited weapon; Three for money laundering; Two for drug trafficking; Two for illegal stay in national territory and one for fraud.

As a result of these patrols on various frontiers, the following were seized: 708 thousand euros in cash; 36.35 kg of hashish (equivalent to more than 72 thousand doses); Eight vehicles; 46 weapons and 40 rounds of ammunition.

Operation “Safe Pilgrimage”

This operation was carried out from May 1 to 12, with the reinforcement of the patrolling in the main access roads to the city of Fátima and its sanctuary, with the purpose of guaranteeing the safety of the pilgrims.

50,000 reflective vests and 300,000 leaflets from councils were distributed, Some 117,500 pilgrims benefited from the support and / or monitoring of the GNR military personnel during their trip to Fatima, and there were no significant accidents or incidents during the Pilgrimage.

The mobile application for iOS and android “APPeregrinos” was also created, with the objective of providing useful information in real time for those who went to Fátima.