The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 14th February 2024

by Mike Evans

A very happy Valentine’s Day to you all in the Algarve and beyond. With this week being Carnival week across the country it had to happen that  this last weekend has been peppered with heavy rain which caused a number of the processions planned to be abandoned or run indoors. However the amount of rain has certainly done the drought situation a lot of good. Also this week we saw that  The Council of Ministers has approved a budget of 26.65 million euros for the adoption of efficiency measures and increased water availability in the Algarve, to respond to the situation of “alert” due to the drought in the region.This amount is part of the set of measures to combat drought provided for in two resolutions that were approved by the Government in the Council of Ministers and which also provide for an amount of 200 million euros for exceptional support for farmers.

Still on environmental issues The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission ( CCDR ) announced this Monday that it had awarded the technical study for the proposal for the base route of the metrobus that aims to create a connection in 15 minutes between Faro, Loulé and Olhão. The project aims to promote sustainable multimodal urban mobility, as part of the transition to an economy with zero emissions net carbon emissions and decarbonization of public transport in the region”, according to the press release.

The project will be developed in conjunction with the municipalities of Faro, Olhão and Loulé, the University of Algarve, the International Airport – ANA Aeroportos and Turismo do Algarve. When announcing the project, in March last year, the president of the Algarve CCDR explained that the metrobus, or BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), is an electric vehicle on its own corridor, with 24 stops, over 38 kilometres, serving around 185 thousand residents in the three municipalities, that is, 40% of the Algarve population. Let’s hope they can keep to a proper timetable both in construction and when completed.

Now for a look at some of the other news from our Region.

ASAE suspends the activity of six restaurants and a bakery

The Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) reported on Saturday, the 10th, that it had ordered the suspension of the activity of seven establishments (six restaurants and a bakery) in an inspection operation involving 21 economic operators in the municipalities of Lisbon, Loulé and Quarteira.

In a statement, ASAE states that following this action, carried out by its Southern Regional Unit, a criminal case was initiated, for “damaged” foodstuffs, and 13 administrative offence cases for various infractions such as violation of the entity’s general duties exploitation, non-compliance with general and specific hygiene requirements, non-compliance with pantry and kitchen requirements, poor implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Point Control (HACCP).

“As a result of the verification of the lack of hygiene conditions and structural conditions detected, the suspension of activity of 6 food and beverage establishments and 1 bread establishment was also determined”, explains ASAE. The authorities also seized 13.5 kilos of frozen fish products and 225.25 kilos of meat, worth approximately three thousand euros, says ASAE, noting that the operation was carried out this Friday in conjunction with the GNR, PSP , Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) and Tax and Customs Authority (AT).

PSP in Faro suspends shooting tests indefinitely

The Faro district command of the PSP suspended shooting tests for an indefinite period, after several police officers failed again in a new session, a police source said this week.

According to the PSP source, this week there was a new shooting certification session in the Algarve, but as the police were again failing, allegedly as a form of protest, the Faro district command decided to suspend practical shooting for an indefinite period.

Last week, 22 of the 24 police officers who participated in the two shooting certification sessions failed and were subjected to a second test. A police source explained that the shooting certification in Faro was cancelled to avoid the risk of more unused police officers.

When police officers fail shooting tests, the weapon is removed and they begin to perform duties exclusively on administrative duty, losing the right to receive supplements.

A police source said that several PSP agents in the Algarve have started a new form of protest and are purposely failing the practical shooting test so as to be left without a weapon and thus not be able to go abroad.

PSP police officers carry out shooting training tests every year to ensure they are able to use weapons, with pellets used in the practical test being one of several forms of protest.

Another police source also said that the national director of the PSP has already given instructions to the territorial commands about the possibility of suspending practical shooting for reasons “of better management of human and operational resources”.

Members of the PSP and GNR have staged several protests to demand a supplement identical to that allocated to the Judiciary Police, with the protest beginning more than a month ago.

In recent days, several PSP police officers and GNR soldiers have suffered casualties, although the platform does not assume that they are a form of protest, and the Minister of Internal Administration has ordered the opening of an urgent inquiry with the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration into these sudden casualties.

EU threatens sanctions for not complying with ruling on environmental conservation

This week, the European Commission opened two cases against Portugal at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for non-compliance with a ruling on the conservation of sites of community importance and threatened sanctions.

In a statement, the community executive announced the decision to take action against Portugal at the CJEU for failure to comply with a ruling of December 5 that called on the country to designate 61 “sites of community importance” as “special conservation” sites, as required by the European directive for habitat conservation.

The court also declared that Portugal did not adopt the necessary conservation measures for these sites. Following the ruling, Portugal formally designated the 61 sites in question as special conservation zones through the adoption of a specific decree, but this designation is not sufficient to comply with the ruling, because Portugal also needs to adopt conservation objectives and measures, he says the Commission.

Therefore, Ursula von der Leyen executive “decided to refer the issue again” to the CJEU.

As this is the second action brought before the court on the same matter for Portugal “it may result in the application of financial sanctions for the time that elapses after the date of the first ruling until compliance is verified”.

In another statement, Brussels also announced that Portugal is among a group of countries, including Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Malta and Slovakia, targeted by the CJEU for failure to comply with the review of river basin management plans.

The directive in question, argued the Commission, “focuses on ensuring good qualitative and quantitative health of European water bodies, such as rivers and lakes”, and has the purpose of eliminating pollution, “as well as guaranteeing the availability of sufficient water to simultaneously satisfy human and wildlife needs.”

The countries in question “continue to fail to fulfil their obligations under the directives” and the efforts made by the Portuguese authorities to date “have been insufficient”.

492 infractions detected and 80 accidents recorded last week in the Algarve

These figures and  28 arrests were the results of the series of operations carried out in the Algarve, in the week of 5th to 11th February, which aimed to prevent and combat violent crime, road inspection, among others.

This week, it is worth highlighting the arrest of seven people for driving under the influence of alcohol and four for driving without a legal licence and the seizure of 176 20-litre bottles of hydrochloric acid, a 200-litre drum of acetone, 8,982 euros in cash, three fishing rods, a TPA device, a precision scale and a cell phone.

In traffic, 492 infractions were recorded, including 91 for speeding, 32 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 27 related to anomalies in lighting and signalling systems, 22 for improper use of a cell phone while driving, 10 for lack of or incorrect use of a seat belt and/or system restraints for children is due to lack of civil liability insurance.

The 80 accidents caused three seriously injured and 19 slightly injured.

Stay safe and take care until the next time.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 7th February 2024

– by Mike Evans

Good day to you all and welcome to the first Algarve Report of 2024. If you wondered where we have been since last year, the writer was taking a visit to the UK over Christmas followed by a three week stay in Thailand. Visiting a tourist island in Asia was much like we in the Algarve experience during the peak summer season. The roads are busy with tourists and the beaches and restaurants are jammed with sunseekers and hungry visitors. Nothing much to report differently then! One thing that was very different is the water situation. Thailand has no issues with water in fact there is so much of it it runs off the hills into the roads and in many places makes driving conditions difficult which is in part one of the reasons that there are so many road traffic incidents.

So to our own region, The Commission for Hydro Agricultural Sustainability of the Algarve warned the water cuts planned for Algarve agriculture threaten the production of 95,000 tons of fruit and losses of 130 million euros in business in 2025.The restrictions imposed on water consumption to save water due to the drought affecting the region could also put around 1,000 jobs at risk, in the production of avocados and red fruits alone, warned the recently created commission, which groups 120 producers, farmers and irrigation associations in the Algarve.

“The cuts in water supply in the Algarve announced by the Government could lead to a drop in the production of 88,000 tons of oranges, 6,500 tons of avocados, 850 tons of red fruits, around a million bottles of wine and all ornamental production, within a year”, he quantified.

According to the same source, the economy of these sectors could lose 134 million euros in 2025, in addition to the impacts that will also be felt on production in 2024, such as a 16% decrease in citrus production made up of smaller fruits with less juice.

The commission estimated that 1,000 jobs are at stake in the production of avocados and red fruits, as well as a 60% drop in wine production, but classified as the “most serious scenario” that of ornamental flowers, which could have “a total collapse of the sector in 2025”.

While the water issue is still with us and as we wait for more rain there is now a protest group against the latest solution that has been touted by the authorities, the desalination plant. This time it is a group of immigrants in the area around where the plant is due to be built that have presented a paper showing in their view that this is not the answer to the region’s water problems. They have threatened to take their case to the EU if they are not given a chance to have their ideals aired. We will see what comes of this latest twist in the water debate. One of the groups main issues is with the amount of water wasted by the utility companies each year. It is estimated that nearly 30% of water is lost through leakage.

Duarte Cordeiro, Minister for Environment  announced the restrictions on water consumption in the Algarve after a meeting of the committee that monitors the effects of the drought and stated, at the time, that, “if nothing was done regarding the moderation of consumption, it would be the end of the year no water for public supply” in the Algarve.

Here are a few of the many stories that have been happening in the past few weeks.

Algarve water cuts and price rises for biggest users

Water tariffs will rise in the Algarve for those who do not save on consumption according to the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve. A press release stated “It is urgent and absolutely necessary to save water in the Algarve and the change in tariffs is part of a set of measures, already announced by the Government, to reduce water consumption by 15%, given the serious drought problem in the region. Restricting consumption to what is strictly essential is the objective of this measure”.

The changes were decided at a meeting held at the Algarve Intermunicipal Community, and are based on the proposal from the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR).

The increases leave out the first tier, in the second the increase will be 15%, in the third 30% and in the fourth tier it reaches 50%.

The tiers are not the same in all municipalities, but, in general, consumption is distributed as follows: First tier: up to 5m3 of consumption per month. It is exempt from the increase.

Second tier: between 5 and 15m3 of monthly consumption. Covers most consumers.

Third tier: goes from 15 to 25m3 of consumption.

Fourth tier: above 25m3.

According to AMAL, Algarve municipalities are obliged to reach the target of 15% in reducing water consumption, established by the Government, and fines will be applied in cases where uses considered excessive persist. Municipalities that, for the second consecutive month, do not reduce consumption, suffer a reduction in the water supplied to them, which means that they will have less water available in their taps.

The president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community hopes that with these measures we will gain “real awareness of the serious problem we are experiencing in the Algarve region, which requires everyone’s involvement and effort”. António Pina considers that in the case of the second tier, which includes the vast majority of consumers, “if a family saves 15% on consumption, the increase in tariffs will be zero. In the remaining tiers, if consumers adopt the same stance, they will also not feel the rise in tariffs, but anyone who does not save, who is not in solidarity with all other consumers and continues to use more water than they should and need, will be penalised”.

Of the 16 municipalities in the Algarve, only Silves expressed their intention not to implement this measure.

Now a look at some of the other stories that have been hitting the headlines in the last month.

66-year-old accountant accused of 19 crimes of aiding illegal immigration

The Public Ministry (MP) charged an accountant with crimes of aiding illegal immigration and falsifying documents that occurred between 2019 and 2020, in the Algarve, benefiting from financial compensation between 100 and 1,300 euros, it was announced today.

According to a note published on the portal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the District of Faro, the woman, aged 66, is accused by the Public Prosecutor of the Albufeira Court of 19 crimes of aiding illegal immigration and 56 of forgery of documents.

According to the MP, the defendant “issued false receipt invoices” through the Tax Authority (AT) portal, in return for payment of amounts between 100 and 1,300 euros, the note reads.

The aim was to complete the declarations of income earned by immigrants who did not have sufficient income to request the right to family reunification.

The practice aimed to create the illusion among the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), now extinct, that the income was sufficient for the right to family reunification to be granted.

The woman accessed the AT electronic portal with the data provided by the immigrants, issuing receipts, “giving a third party trader as the purchaser of the immigrant’s work and indicating a value for the work provided”.

The receipt was then given to the immigrant who completed his administrative process with the SEF, “justifying that he had sufficient income from salaried work to support family reunification”, concludes the Prosecutor’s Office.

Works on the road network will increase safety and traffic flow in Albufeira

Albufeira City Council announced today that it is carrying out a series of works on the municipality’s road network to increase the safety of motorists and pedestrians and the fluidity of traffic.

In a statement, the municipality said that, among the works, is the contract to requalify Estrada do Paraíso, covering a length of 1,500 metres, which is almost completed, representing an investment of 85 thousand euros.

“This is a complex project that consisted of repaving several streets, namely the Paradise Road and the school and market streets”, says the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo, quoted in the note.The mayor adds that there was “the need to rectify the changes caused by tree roots and various collapses, and the requalification of the walkways”.

Suspect of robbing goldsmith shop in Quarteira is in pre-trial detention

A 23-year-old man suspected of robbing a goldsmith shop at gunpoint in November 2023 in Quarteira will await trial in preventive detention, the Judiciary Police ( PJ ) announced today.

In a statement, the police reported that the man, arrested on Wednesday at his home, “is strongly indicted” for the crime of robbery perpetrated using “an instrument used as a firearm”.

The man, who “did not act alone” in the robbery of the goldsmith shop in Quarteira, in the municipality of Loulé, was detained during a joint operation by the PJ and the Republican National Guard.After being heard in the first judicial interrogation, preventive detention was imposed on him, the most serious coercive measure.

PJ arrests drug trafficker with international arrest warrant

The Judicial Police (PJ) detained, in the Algarve, a citizen with an Interpol international arrest warrant , issued by the UK judicial authorities, suspected of committing the crime of drug trafficking, it was announced today.

“The location of the man, and subsequent arrest, by the PJ’s Criminal Information Unit, was possible, in less than 24 hours, through the exchange of police information with the National Crime Agency (NCA), which leads the fight against crime. serious and organised in the United Kingdom”, details the PJ in a statement.

Pending extradition, the Évora Court of Appeal ordered that the individual be held in preventive detention.

Fire destroys Algarve restaurant In Praia Da Luz

A fire destroyed a restaurant in Praia da Luz, in the municipality of Lagos,on Wednesday, without causing any injuries. According to a source from the Algarve Civil Protection Sub-regional Command, the fire alert was given shortly after midnight, and the restaurant is described as being “completely burnt down”.

“The restaurant, built in wood, was closed and with no one inside,” said the same source. The causes of the fire are unknown and are being investigated by police authorities, he added.25 Civil Protection elements were involved in fighting the flames, supported by nine vehicles. Reports on social media claim that the restaurant that has burnt down was called Paraíso.

This is the third restaurant since the turn of the year that has been damaged by fire. Two restaurants located on Vau beach in Portimão, were partially destroyed on the 16th January, following a fire that was extinguished at 7:10 am, a source from the Maritime Police revealed .The Source from the Algarve Sub-Regional Command said that the alert for the fire was given at 6:15 am, with 22 operational personnel at the location at 7:10 am, with members of the Portimão, Lagoa and Monchique Fire Department, PSP, Maritime Authority and Municipal Protection Service Civil, with the support of 10 vehicles. The causes of the fire are not yet known.

Finally to end this report, a subject we at Safe Communities have been promoting heavily in the past year,  Loulé City Council presented in Quarteira, the evacuation signage due to the risk of tsunami, which provides for the installation of six sirens, 140 signs and 13 meeting points along the coast.

“Living is a risk and we have to be prepared [if a tsunami occurs]”, said the mayor of Loulé during the ceremony to present the new signage, at Zé beach, on Calçadão de Quarteira.

For Vítor Aleixo, the most important thing will be to “raise awareness and inform” the population and tourists about the behaviour they should have in the event of a tsunami warning.

Have a great week.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 20th December 2023

by Mike Evans

A very warm welcome and as this is the last report before the Festive holidays can I on behalf of all of our volunteers wish you all a very Safe Christmas and a Secure New Year.

Throughout the year we have tried to bring you the latest news and information about all things safety and security. We will continue to do this as we take a break and will return in the New year. Follow our Facebook pages for all the latest up to date news from the whole country and abroad.

As we approach the festive season please be aware that there will be more people on our roads and the dangers this brings are already showing with a tragic accident in the Algarve in the past week which saw the death of one man and injuries to three others as a car was hit by a train on a level crossing. Our sympathies go out to the victims of this accident.

If you are in need of hospital treatment over the Christmas period there will inevitably be some services that are restricted and we post details of these further in this bulletin.

Here is a round up of some of the stories from across the Algarve in the past week.

Four people in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking

Four people were in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, after five individuals were arrested on 13 December, announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The Territorial Command of Faro, through the Criminal Investigation Unit, detained a woman and four men aged between 19 and 43 years, after an investigation that lasted just over a year.

In July of this year, 17 people had already been arrested, subject to the coercive measure of preventive detention, in addition to more than 20 thousand doses of drugs having been seized.

Meanwhile, the GNR executed four arrest warrants and 15 search warrants, 10 of which were at homes, three at vehicles and two at a prison establishment.

During these investigations, it was possible to dismantle a drug trafficking network that operated in the region, mainly in the municipalities of São Brás de Alportel, Loulé, Faro, Olhão and Tavira.

195 doses of hashish, 21 doses of cocaine, 12 doses of cannabis, a small amount of cannabis grinding, a precision scale, eleven rounds of ammunition, two knives, several pieces of gold, a television, a laptop, 12 cell phones and 8633 euros in cash.

Three women and a man aged between 23 and 77 were also charged with drug trafficking.

The five detainees were present, on December 17th, at the Judicial Court of Faro, resulting in the application of the coercive measure of preventive detention to four detainees, one woman and three men, with the other male detainee being the measure of coercion of periodic appearances at the police station in the area of ​​residence is applied to him.

Man killed as train rams car at Olhão level crossing

A man died and three people were injured after a collision between a train and a car at a level crossing in Quelfes, municipality of Olhão, on Saturday night.

According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, a car was rammed by a train at the Marim level crossing.

It was later confirmed that the man who had sustained serious injuries, aged 32 and of Portuguese nationality, had died in hospital. The three other people in the car, all Brazilian and aged 38, 41 and 43, sustained minor injuries.

Fisherman dies at Ponta da Carrapateira in Aljezur

A 58-year-old fisherman died this morning, December 15th, after allegedly leaving home to fish in the Ponta da Carrapateira área, in the municipality of Aljezur, with the causes of the incident unknown. , said the National Maritime Authority (AMN). ​Following an alert, from the victim’s friends, at 11:50 p.m., stating that the fisherman “had not returned from his fishing activity on foot”, searches were immediately initiated at the location by members of the local command. from the Maritime Police of Lagos, from the Volunteer Firefighters of Aljezur, supported by a drone and people who were in the area, which were interrupted in the early hours of the morning due to poor visibility , details AMN in a statement.

Search operations were resumed at 07:00, which were joined by crew members from the Sagres Lifeguard Station. The body was found this morning in an area “very difficult for people to access”, having been confirmed by the Aljezur Volunteer Firefighters drone. The victim was removed from the tidal zone and later transported by the Lifeguard Station crew to the Sagres Lifeguard Station pier, where he was declared dead by the Health Delegate.

After contact with the Public Ministry, the body will be transported to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão.

The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.

The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took charge of the incident.

Drug trafficker arrested and cannabis greenhouse dismantled

A 39-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, December 13th, for drug trafficking in the municipality of Silves, he announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The arrest was made by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Silves Criminal Investigation Center, which had been investigating the suspect for around four months.

These investigations ended with the execution of three search warrants, one at home, another in a vehicle and also in a ruined building located in São Bartolomeu de Messines.

Inside this ruined building, a cannabis greenhouse was set up, which was dismantled, in addition to seizing 24 doses of marijuana, 48 dried and harvested cannabis plants, three bottles of hashish oil, 11 syringes of hashish oil, two cell phones and two laptops.

The detainee was named a defendant and will be present at the Portimão Judicial Court.

Body found floating near fishing dock pier

The body of a 57-year-old man of Guinean nationality was found on the morning of this Thursday, December 14th, floating next to the pier of the fishing dock, announced the National Maritime Authority in Portimão. Until now, the causes of this occurrence are unknown, the alert was given at 11:20, and members of the local command of the Maritime Police of Portimão, the Volunteer Firefighters of Lagoa, the Volunteer Firefighters of Portimão were immediately activated to the scene. and INEM.

The body was detected with the help of a member of the public who was in that area and removed from the water by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters to the pier, where death was declared by the INEM medical team.

After being contacted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was transported to Portimão Hospital by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters.

The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.

The local command of the Portimão Maritime Police took charge of the incident.

Man Arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking

A 30-year-old citizen was arrested in Lagos on suspicion of committing the crime of drug trafficking, announced the Public Security Police ( PSP). The arrest was made by the Lagos Police Station, after police investigations and collection of evidence of several drug transactions in various areas of the city , to a large number of consumers.

After the arrest, a home search and four non-home searches were carried out, where 523 doses of cocaine, 816 doses of heroin, 27 doses of hashish, four ecstasy tablets, two doses of cannabis and around four thousand euros were seized.

Various preparation and packaging material for subsequent sale to consumers was also seized. The suspect had already been convicted of drug trafficking and was brought before a Criminal Investigation Judge.

Until the New year have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 13th December 2023

by Mike Evans

Good morning to you all as we reach the end of the year a rather sombre report has just reached our desk and shows that the number of road accidents has increased again year on year.

According to a report published by Lusa yesterday, More than 123,000 road accidents occurred on Portuguese roads this year, causing 442 deaths and 2,279 serious injuries, an increase in all accident indicators compared to the same period in 2022. Provisional data, to which the Lusa agency had access, indicate that the PSP and GNR recorded, between January 1st and December 11th of this year, 123,391 road accidents, 442 fatalities, 2,279 serious injuries and 38,548 minor injuries. Compared to the same period in 2022, there were 7,556 more accidents (6.5%), five more deaths (1.1%), 147 more serious injuries (6.8%) and 2,039 more (5.5%).

However, when compared to 2019, the reference year for monitoring the targets set by the European Commission and Portugal to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030, all road accident indicators decreased this year, with the exception of serious injuries. that has increased.

The highest number of accidents this year occurred in the districts of Lisbon, with a total of 22,170, followed by Porto (21,647), Braga (10,554), Aveiro (10,178), Setúbal (10,040) and Faro (9,306). In turn, the district with the fewest accidents was Bragança, with 1,254.

The data also shows that Porto was the district where the most fatalities were recorded, with 49, with 48 deaths occurring in Setúbal, 43 in Lisbon, 34 in Braga and 32 in Faro.

With the festive holidays approaching it is important we all make sure, if we are on the roads that we take extra care as the amount of traffic will be much higher than usual.

Now a look at some of the stories that have happened in the Region in the past week.

Drought Situation Worsened in November across the South.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), there was an increase in the area of ​​mainland Portugal in the weak drought class, from 12.8% in October to 19.4% in November in the southern region, covering the entire district of Faro, Beja and a large part of the district of Setúbal. According to IPMA, there are four types of drought: meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic.

With regard to the percentage of water in the soil, the institute states that there was an increase in the northern, central and Alto Alentejo regions, with values ​​above 80%.

In Baixo Alentejo and Algarve, some regions had values ​​between 20 and 40%.

Data from the bulletin indicate that the month of November was classified as very hot in terms of air temperature and normal in terms of precipitation (122.2 millimetres).

Last month was considered the 9th hottest in the last 93 years (hottest in 1981) and the 2nd hottest since 2000.

Ryanair Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Faro Airport

A Ryanair plane with 164 people on board departed this morning for Faro airport, after it had to make an emergency landing, due to an engine failure, a Civil Protection source revealed .

According to the same source, the plane, a Boeing 737, was flying from Manchester, in the United Kingdom, to the Spanish island of Tenerife, having been diverted to Faro en route, where it landed safely. At 9:20 am, a group of 82 operatives supported by 35 vehicles were mobilised to the location, who ended up not having to intervene, having already been demobilised.

According to information from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 am, with the airport’s emergency plan appropriate to this type of situation having been activated.

GNR Detained 29 people in Quarteira

The GNR detained 29 people in various actions to combat crime in the city of Quarteira , in the municipality of Loulé , between Thursday and Sunday, the police corporation announced.

The detainees are aged between 19 and 68 and were approached following inspection actions, in various locations in the city, with the aim of preventing and repressing crime, said the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR in a statement.

Eighteen people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and eight for driving without a legal licence, with the facts being referred to the Loulé Court, explained the same source, without mentioning the reason that led to the arrest of the remaining three. “Through these actions, the National Republican Guard intends to combat crime and strengthen the population’s sense of security, whilst also seeking to prevent criminal offences”, explained the security force.

Two Men Arrested for Theft from Vehicle

Two suspects were arrested on Tuesday, December 5th, for theft inside a vehicle and subsequent purchase of goods using stolen cards in Olhão , announced the Public Security Police (PSP). The arrest was made by the Olhão Police Station, after being warned about the misuse of stolen bank cards.

The police quickly went to the establishment where the suspect was making purchases, as he was trapped there. The PSP ended up finding out that there was another suspect who was involved in the theft and intercepted him inside another commercial establishment, hiding in the bathroom. The two suspects had in their possession several of the victim’s bank cards, as well as personal objects and purchased products, worth one thousand euros.

The suspects were subject to the coercive measure of Identity and Residence Term and periodic appearances at a police establishment, respectively.

Man Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Armação de Pêra

A 26-year-old man, suspected of drug trafficking, was arrested on Tuesday, the 5th, in Armação de Pêra, in the municipality of Silves , with the GNR seizing 344 doses of drugs, it was announced today. The arrest occurred following a complaint “regarding an illegal occupation of property, threats and theft”, and after the military detected “a strong odor” of drugs at the scene, the Territorial Command of the GNR of Faro said in a statement.

During a home search carried out by members of the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of the GNR of Silves, 136 doses of cocaine, 208 of hashish, communications devices and material used to package the drug were seized.The detainee will be present at the Silves Court to be heard in the first judicial interrogation and for the application of possible coercive measures, concludes that security force. 

Man Arrested for Falsifying Identities and Moving illicit Money

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man suspected of aggravated document forgery, qualified fraud and money laundering, who used false identities to open bank accounts and move amounts obtained illegally. The arrest of the 45-year-old suspect was carried out outside of the act, under the scope of an investigation conducted by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Faro , with the collaboration of the GNR of Mértola, the PJ said in a statement.

“The detainee’s criminal activity consisted of setting up companies, which had no activity whatsoever, using several false identities, in the name of which he opened dozens of bank accounts in credit institutions based in the national territory”, said the police force. .

The same source clarified that, once the accounts were opened, they received “transfers of large amounts” that had been “obtained illicitly”, through the use of cyber attacks “commonly known as ‘man-in-the-middle’ or ‘CEO- Fraud’ (Business Email Compromise)”.

The PJ stressed that the suspect sought to conceal the illicit origin of the amounts credited and made transfers to other bank accounts, “receiving a percentage of the transactions carried out”.

During the steps that led to the identification and arrest of the suspect, investigators found and seized “significant pieces of evidence”, but are still continuing the investigation “with a view to delimiting the extent of this criminal activity”, said the Judiciary Police.

The detainee will be brought before the court for the first judicial interrogation and, at the end, will learn about any coercive measures applied, the PJ also pointed out.

PJ Arrests Suspect of Attacking Brother with Chainsaw in Odeceixe

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man suspected of having attacked his brother with a chainsaw, on Tuesday, in Odeceixe ( Aljezur ), causing serious injuries, it was announced today. In a statement, the PJ revealed that the attacker, a 28-year-old man, a woodcutter by profession, is charged with attempted murder.

According to the police, the attacks occurred after an argument between the two brothers, with the detainee, armed with a chainsaw, undoing the door of the container where the victim was lying, “attacking her and striking her several times with that instrument” .

The victim was treated at the Portimão Hospital, but “the severity of the injuries” led to his transfer to the Santa Maria Hospital, in Lisbon, said the police.

The man will be brought before the court to be heard in the first judicial interrogation and for the application of possible coercive measures, in an investigation supervised by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lagos .

The operation by the Criminal Investigation Department (DIC) of Portimão of the PJ had the collaboration of the GNR Territorial Post of Lagos.