On 14th and 15th of March, the GNR throughout the country conducted an operation involving the control and surveillance at international and national railway stations located within its area of responsibility, with the aim of combating crime.

Various units were involved including SEPNA. The operation took place at: 197 railway stations, on 202 trains, involving 728 passengers and 1469 items of baggage. In total three individuals were arrested for drug trafficking and illegal immigration, 4210.85 doses of hashish and 9.6 doses of heroin were seized. One of those arrested was a Moroccan national who alighted from an AP train in Tunes, Algarve in which drugs to the value of around €10,000 were discovered in his rucksack.

The “7th 24BLUE RAIL ACTION DAY” operation is an initiative of the European organization RAILPOL (European Police Railways Network), of which the GNR is a member. The aim is to conduct simultaneous controls at the main European railway lines, with a view to increasing safety in railways and combating crime, as well as strengthening cooperation between Member States.

The operation focused at cross border crime in the country as well as the following types of crime: thefts / robberies in trains and stations; theft of non-precious metals at stations, lines, trains and signalling; illegal immigration , drug trafficking; related to aggressive or antisocial behaviour and related freight train graffiti crime and criminality, damage, vandalism.