Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 20th September 2023
by Mike Evans
Welcome to another Algarve Report. In the past week Safe Communities Volunteers have been busy with plenty of news to promote on our Facebook pages and we also attended a coffee morning in Sao Bras de Alportel as guests of the Friends of the Museum in Sao Bras. Our founder David Thomas gave a talk to approximately 35 people on what our organisation is all about and how it came to be.
Now that the weather is a bit cooler we are happy to attend events of clubs or societies around the region if you feel our attendance could add value to your regular meetings. Please feel free to reach out to us if this is something your organisation might like to get involved with. We do not charge anything to attend and as we are based fairly central in the Algarve we can travel either East or West.
Now a look at some of the other news from across the Algarve in the past week.
EARTHQUAKE OF 3.0 RICHTER MAGNITUDE REGISTERED 86 KMS OFF SAGRES
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 on the Richter scale was recorded this Monday afternoon, at 2:13 pm, 86 kilometres southwest of Sagres and 125 kilometres southwest of Portimão, according to the Euro-Seismological Center. Mediterranean .The “epicentre was recorded at a depth of 41.1 km”.
GNR INVESTIGATE ANIMALS POISONED IN ALBUFEIRA AND SILVES
During a GNR investigation concerning animals being poisoned in the countryside of Paderne and Algoz, a police tracking dog even became a victim.
Hundreds of animals have died from alleged poisoning after eating contaminated meat in the municipalities of Albufeira and Silves, which is why the GNR is in the process of investigating.
“There are more than 40 traps spread across these hunting areas. Those who place them do so in the early hours of the morning and use small pieces of poisoned chicken.”
The practice of poisoning animals is not new and residents of Paderne, in Albufeira, have been complaining for more than 20 years. However, recently, the situation has been getting worse. In Algoz, Silves the situation is the same. According to a Paderne resident , “this week at least two dogs have eaten contaminated meat: one survived, the other ended up dying. Dogs, cats, sheep, the list is long.”
It’s not just domestic animals and livestock that are affected. Animals such as foxes, eagles and mongoose also die from these poisonings. According to Portuguese newspapers, the poison used is a pesticide banned in Portugal, responsible for thousands of deaths.
Animal owners, please be vigilant!
What are the symptoms of animal poisoning?
Foaming at the mouth, lethargy, shaking or unusual movements, upset stomach, unusual swelling, pale gums, or behavioural changes.
What to do if you think your dog’s been poisoned.
Stay calm and move your dog away from the source of poison. Contact your vet immediately – inform them when, where and how the poisoning happened. If possible, take the packaging or substance to the vet, but only if you can do this safely.
OLHÃO: POLICE CATCH HOUSE BURGLAR RED-HANDED
The GNR in Olhão have arrested a 23 year old young man fleeing from a robbery of a private house, after holding the resident couple at knife-point.
“Following the report that someone had forced entry into a residence and that a robbery was taking place against a couple, the Olhão GNR promptly went to the scene and discovered that a man was fleeing the house”, says the GNR in a statement.
On investigation, police found €850 in the young man’s possession, resulting from the robbery he had just carried out, plus the knife used.
IPHONE 12 SALES SUSPENDED DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT RADIATION LEVELS
Due to concerns about radiation levels exceeding permitted limits, the French government has taken the decision to suspend sales of Apple ‘s iPhone 12 in the country.
The measure was announced by France’s Digital Economy Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, after the country’s radiation watchdog, ANFR, notified Apple about this issue.
Tests carried out by ANFR revealed that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 was slightly above the legal limits established in France, which led to the model’s sales being frozen in the country. However, the French government believes that the solution to this problem could be relatively simple.
This decision not only affects sales in France, but could also have repercussions throughout the European Union, as SAR safety limits are harmonised among member states. ANFR intends to share its findings with regulators in other EU countries, which could result in similar measures in other markets .
In statements made to the French newspaper Le Parisien, Jean-Noel Barrot expressed the hope that Apple can resolve the issue through a software update that reduces the levels of radiation emitted by the iPhone 12. Apple now has two weeks to submit a response and, if it fails to do so, the French government could order the withdrawal of all iPhone 12 devices in circulation in France.
For Apple, this suspension of iPhone 12 sales in France represents a significant challenge, as the French market is one of the largest in Europe. This situation highlights the importance of compliance with security regulations in all markets in which companies operate, and serves as a reminder that mobile technology must meet the rigorous security standards set by regulatory authorities.
MAN ARRESTED IN ARMACAO DE PERA FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A 46-year-old man was arrested this Monday, September 18th, for drug trafficking in Armação de Pêra , in the municipality of Silves , announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The arrest was made by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Armação de Pêra Territorial Post, during a patrolling action.
GNR soldiers checked a suspicious vehicle that was parked in a commercial parking lot, whose passengers demonstrated suspicious behaviour and some nervousness when approached. A personal security search was carried out on the suspects and the vehicle, discovering narcotic products in the driver’s possession.
During the action, 530 doses of cocaine, 8400 doses of heroin and a vehicle were seized.
The detainee was named a defendant and will be present this afternoon at the Silves Judicial Court for the application of coercive measures.
FARO FIREFIGHTERS GET 17 NEW RECRUITS
The Faro Firefighters Company hired 17 new professionals to “strengthen” the relief and safety response in the city, revealed this Friday, the 15th, the president of the Faro municipality, Rogério Bacalhau (PSD ) .
The new operatives of the sappers fire company made their commitment of honour and received “the usual parade baptism”, in a symbolic ceremony held on the occasion of the Municipality Day celebrations (7 September), the Municipal Council explained in a statement .
The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Faro and the Regional Commander of Emergency and Civil Protection of the Algarve, Vítor Vaz Pinto, who highlighted the importance of integrating these new professionals to reinforce the response capacity of the city’s Sapadores Firefighters, which now has 56 members on the active staff. After welcoming the professionals who joined the company, Vítor Vaz Pinto thanked the firefighters for their “resilience and professionalism” and highlighted the investment made by the municipality to guarantee the “strengthening of the corporation’s intervention capacity”, the municipality said in the statement. .
Also mentioned in the statement, Rogério Bacalhau said that the new reinforcements guarantee that “the security of people and goods in the city of Faro will now be strengthened”.
The municipality highlighted that the new professionals were trained at the Lisbon Sapadores Firefighters Regiment School and at the National Firefighters School and received instruction consisting of a “theoretical component and a practical component, in a total of more than 1,810 hours of training”.
The training received by the 17 new firefighters covered “the disciplines of urban fires, forest fires, basic techniques, administrative culture, command, manoeuvres, pre-hospital assistance, united order and physical education”, specified the municipality.
“The last few months of training took place in the context of work at the Faro Firefighters Company barracks, where the recruit firefighters were integrated into the operational brigades”, the municipality’s note added.
Until the next time, stay Safe
With the region experiencing a welcome dousing of rain in the past week it is an opportune time to raise the issue of water usage and the consumption from the area. The month of August was the fifth hottest in mainland Portugal since 1931, with two heat waves and an increase in the drought situation reaching 97% of the country. The Algarve was one of the territories that showed the decrease in the percentage of water in the soil throughout the territory. In the Algarve the percentage values of water in the soil is below 10%, and in many places “the water content in the soil is at the level of permanent wilting point”.
A joint operation by the Navy , National Maritime Authority (AMN) and the Air Force, carried out on the night of Wednesday, the 6th, resulted in the seizure of 46 bales of hashish, around 1.6 tons, six jerrycans of fuel , a high-speed vessel and the arrest of six suspects for drug trafficking, was announced by AMN.
And Finally, if you want to try some new foods from Portugal and around the world but don’t want to spend out on a full dinner then you should try Another edition of Rota do Petisco is back, which runs from September 15th to October 15th, organised by Teia D’ Impulsos, the organisation announced.
The unusual weather pattern is not just in Southern Europe, The storm “Hans” is forecasted to arrive in Norway Monday afternoon or evening. The rain has already begun, resulting in flooding in a commuter parking lot located outside Oslo. As a consequence, several cars in the lot were submerged underwater due to the flooding of the adjacent riverbed. And, after experiencing a remarkably wet July, Denmark continues to endure weather more reminiscent of autumn than summer. The downpour and storm that started on Sunday first affected the eastern island of Bornholm before reaching the capital city, Copenhagen, on Monday.
The Portuguese authorities, in a joint action between the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ), the Portuguese Navy and the Air Force, seized 1.1 tons of hashish this morning and detained two men during an action to combat drug trafficking, in international waters, south of Portugal. Speaking to journalists at a press conference at Cais Comercial de Faro, the director of the PJ of Faro said that “the way the drugs are packaged indicates that we are dealing with a different ‘modus operandi’ than these groups”. “These bales have different characteristics from the usual ones”, highlighted Fernando Jordão.
The National Maritime Authority (AMN) received the alert and sent help but when they arrived, the boat had already been freed with the support of other tourist vessels that were in the area. The episode lasted around 20 minutes and, despite the scare, no one was injured.
The radar located at km 102 of the EN125 in Faro, in the West-East direction is one of the five radars that have recorded the most infractions in Portugal, according to the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR).
, the bombeiros were able to get it under control after 6 hours. The service these men and women provide is fantastic and we should not forget that many of them are part time or volunteers. Our thanks go to all of them at this time.
The incident took place in Quarteira, in the municipality of Loulé , at 8:30 pm, said a source from the general command of the GNR.
And Finally we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of GNR, Corporal Nuno Policarpo who sadly passed away following a road traffic accident in Loule on the 26th August. Nuno Policarpo was 47 years old and was born in Nisa. A Member of the National Republican Guard, he served in the Community Policing Section of the Territorial Detachment of Loulé.