Two men were arrested after a police operation for being “heavily indicted” for qualified robbery, damage and possession of prohibited weapons, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said on Friday, believing it had dismantled a “criminal group”.
In a statement, the Northern Directorate of the PJ describes that during the early hours of Friday, in the police operation organised to arrest these two suspects, “there was a need to open fire to stop them, especially since they were carrying two guns and tried to use them against police.”
The PJ stated that it had disbanded “a criminal group” suspected last month of “committing about 30 crimes of robberies at fuel stations and others, criminal damage an attempted homicide.”
“On the night of 14th and 15th November the group committed 14 firearm-related crimes in which they indiscriminately fired at the victims,” PJ says, saying the two men have “vast criminal records.”
This Friday, “when approaching the police to make arrests, the suspects reacted violently, disregarding orders and attacking police vehicles,” PJ describes.
Following the persecution in Vila Nova de Gaia, the men were taken to hospital due to “injuries sustained in making their arrest”.
According to PJ, a first member of the group had been arrested at dawn on 17th November, after having committed “three more crimes”.
This first detainee was awaiting the outcome of the trial in custody, PJ added.
With these three arrests, the PJ “dismantled a criminal group that for about a month had been committing violent crimes against property and people using firearms.”