On 7th July the Judicial Police, in a joint operation conducted by the Centre’s Board and North Board, with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department of Aveiro, identified and arrested ten men and a woman suspected of several robberies, perpetrated with the use of firearms.

The gang are believed responsible for more that 15 robberies using stolen vehicles in various locations situated between Aveiro and Braga and specifically on the metropolitan area of Porto. In some of criminal actions, particularly  “carjackings”, the suspects used sirens and flashing lights on the stolen vehicles attempting to pose as Police Officers.

The stolen vehicles, after being used in robberies were then burned or sold.

In the early hours of Tuesday a major Police operation was conducted in the Greater Porto region, targeting this gang, in order undertaking about thirty search warrants at homes As a result they found and seized cars, firearms, disguises, narcotic products, plus other items and documents with high evidential interest.

In some of the neighbourhoods where some conflict was predictable, the Judicial Police was supported by ten Special Unit Police teams and two Quick’s PSP Metropolitan Command of Porto intervention units.

The detainees, aged 19 to 46, some of them with criminal records for crimes of the same nature, will be present at first judicial interrogation, with a view to implementing appropriate enforcement measures.