The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 12th July 2023
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all and we start this report by bringing you some news you may not have been aware of. At the weekend Safe Communities launched a new Facebook page called Safe Communities Portugal Protection Against Natural Disasters. In just 4 days we have seen 500 people join. The aim of this page is to keep people informed on a regular basis and invite discussion on all aspects of disaster management.
The diversity, experience and backgrounds of those joining will certainly enrich the group.
Given the emphasis placed globally, including Portugal, on Climate change and disaster management, we felt that a dedicated Facebook group should be formed to help those who have properties in Portugal or just visiting, by providing a “focal point” of knowledge and advice with links to various experts and qualified sources, which is easy to access, as well as opportunities for group members to share with others their own experiences.
This seems to have been a positive development that is recognised as a forum that can help them dealing with the challenges we all face.
We invite you to participate in becoming a member of this unique group here in Portugal, with the focus on protection against natural disasters. The Group is: “Safe Communities Portugal Protection against Natural Disasters”.
Just search Facebook and if you haven’t already joined the group then please do.
Now let’s look at some of the stories from around the region.
Canadian Woman Dies on Beach near Lagos
A 51-year-old woman of Canadian nationality died on Monday, July 10, after feeling unwell while on Canavial beach, in the municipality of Lagos , announced the National Maritime Authority.
The alert was given through the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center at 15:15, with the picket of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Lagos, elements of the “SeaWatch” project and elements of the INEM Medical Vehicle and Resuscitation.
Since it was a difficult beach to access, support was requested from a maritime-tourist vessel that was nearby to transport the victim to the port of Lagos. Already at that location, the victim’s husband reported that the woman complained of severe chest pains and ended up losing consciousness. The elements of the “SeaWatch” project, together with INEM, assisted the victim and started resuscitation manoeuvres, without success, and death was declared on the spot by the doctor.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office was contacted, and the body was transported by the Lagos Volunteer Firefighters to the Legal Medicine Institute of Portimão, while the Maritime Police Psychology Office provides support to the victim’s relatives. The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took care of the occurrence.
2 Arrested For Drug Trafficking in Portimao
The GNR arrested two men aged 20 and 22 for drug trafficking, in Via do Infante, in the municipality of Portimão, the security force announced this Tuesday.
“During a road inspection action, the Guard military ordered a vehicle to stop where the two individuals were following, since it had been detected by the speeding radar”, explains the GNR in a statement.
The driver did not respect the aforementioned stop order, and the vehicle was intercepted “a few kilometres later”, adds the note. The two men had in their possession, among other material, 37 doses of marijuana and 17 doses of cocaine.
65 Year Old Man Detained at Faro Airport for Drug Trafficking
The Judiciary Police detained a person on suspicion of drug trafficking and seized more than four kilos of cocaine, in an inspection by the customs services at Faro airport of a flight from Brazil.
In a statement, the Judiciary Police said that the suspect is 65 years old and that, in addition to drugs, objects related to the crime were seized.
The defendant was already present before the judicial authority and was held in preventive detention.
Man arrested for drug trafficking in Quarteira
A 38-year-old man was arrested red-handed for drug trafficking in Quarteira on Saturday, July 8, announced the National Republican Guard ( GNR ). The arrest was made by the Territorial Command of Faro, through the Territorial Sub-detachment of Quarteira, during a patrolling action.
The GNR military noticed the suspicious behaviour of an individual, and a personal search was carried out, where a narcotic product was found. After the police investigations, a house search was carried out at the suspect’s residence, where 32.5 doses of cocaine, 49 doses of hashish, a mobile phone, two knives, a brass knuckle, two precision scales, a roll of cling film, an electric scooter and 687.50 euros in cash.
The detainee was made an arguido and the facts were sent to the Judicial Court of Loulé.
The action was reinforced by the Cinotechnical Intervention Group of the Intervention Unit.
Two of the five suspects for crimes of extortion, theft and drug trafficking, arrested on Friday in Albufeira, will be held in custody, the GNR reported today .
In a statement, the Faro Territorial Command of the National Republican Guard (GNR) indicates that the Faro Judicial Court also determined that the other three suspects are obliged to present themselves to the authorities every two weeks.
The suspects, four men and one woman, aged between 22 and 39, were arrested as part of an investigation into extortion and theft initiated three months ago by the Núcleo de Investigação Criminal (NIC) in Albufeira. In the note, the GNR said that with the arrest of the suspects, “an important and structured network that operated in the [Algarve] region, with particular focus on the municipalities of Albufeira, Loulé, Faro and Portimão”, was dismantled.
During police searches of homes and vehicles, the military seized 4,693 doses of cocaine, 185 of hashish, 37 of MDMA, 28 of cannabis, a firearm, 48 ammunition, communications equipment and 1,000 euros. Several articles used in the preparation and packaging of narcotics were also seized and objects in gold were recovered, concludes the note from the Guard.
Pretrial detention for the 17 suspected of being part of a drug trafficking network
The 17 people suspected of belonging to a drug trafficking network that operated in the region and arrested on Wednesday, the 5th, in São Brás de Alportel, were held in custody, reported the GNR.
In a statement, the security force indicated that the detainees, 14 men and three women, aged between 19 and 60, were present at the Faro court today, having applied the most serious coercive measure.
According to the GNR, the suspects allegedly belonged to a drug trafficking network that operated with particular incidence in the municipalities of São Brás de Alportel, Loulé, Faro , Olhão and Tavira. The arrests resulted from an investigation that had been going on for about a year by the Criminal Investigation Nucleus of Faro da Guarda.
At the time, two women, aged 44 and 55, were also accused of being involved in drug trafficking. During the operation, a total of 22 searches were carried out in homes, vehicles and commercial establishments.
The action resulted in the seizure of 9,667 doses of heroin, 7,632 of cocaine, 2,855 of hashish, 258 doses and 29 cannabis plants, six firearms, a compressed air gun and various items used in the preparation and packaging of narcotics. A defence aerosol, various computer and communications equipment, gold pieces and more than 69 thousand euros in cash were also seized.
In the police operation were involved several valences of the GNR of the territorial commands of Faro (Algarve) and Beja (Alentejo). The operation also had the collaboration of elements of the Food and Economic Security Authority.
Maritime Police arrest man for drug possession at Rolling Loud Festival
The Maritime Police arrested a man for possession of drugs on Wednesday, July 5, at Praia da Rocha, in Portimão, on the opening day of the Rolling Loud rap music festival,
The Maritime Police agents posted outside the festival grounds noticed the presence of “two suspicious men” who had narcotic material in their possession and confirmed that one of them had several illicit substances, such as cocaine, hashish, ecstasy, marijuana, amphetamines. and nitrous oxide.
The drugs were seized, AMN said in the statement, without specifying the quantities involved. The detained suspect will be present at court to respond in the first interrogation and learn about any coercive measures, while the other, “because he did not have enough material in his possession to be detained, was constituted an arguido and subject to an identity and residence”.
In numbers, this means that four more people drowned in the first three month period this year than last – the vast majority of them being men. Many of the accidents are as a result of the Rip Currents which we have mentioned many times on our Facebook and Website. The rip currents are one of the main causes of beach rescue. In the high season there have been many cases of people who have even died drowning in Portuguese beaches. It is a dangerous situation, but it can be avoided. In these situations it is important not to panic, or to swim against the current in the direction of land. It is an inglorious effort that causes people to exhaust themselves quickly. The best thing to do is to start swimming to the side and as soon as possible and if you are away from the rip current, try to catch a wave to land.
A seaweed originating in Asia has invaded the coasts of the western Algarve, with beaches where its accumulation has created a barrier 1.20 metres high.
The goal was to “ensure compliance with regulations and raise awareness about proper pet care”, the local council said in a statement to the press. A total of 17 dogs were checked on, leading to 28 infractions. The most common violations were the absence of mandatory electronic identification, or microchips, meaning that the dogs were not registered in the national pet animal information system (SIAC). Several dogs were also found to be roaming the streets unsupervised, which led to their owners being fined.
With the hot dry weather and a prevailing wind the chances of rural fires are very high, and a number of areas in the Algarve have been placed on the Red Alert, so again please make sure that if you see smoke or flames call 112. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.
The action of this police force, in coordination with the National Maritime Authority (AMN), took place “following a request for help from the captain of the ship, who, together with the rest of the crew, were being victims of serious threats against their lives and against the safety of the vessel”. In Portuguese territorial waters, the authorities carried out “a wide range of acts of collection of evidence on the vessel”, which allowed the “indictment of the commission of crimes of attack on the safety of transport by water, illegal introduction in a place closed to the public, aggravated threat and illegal stay in national territory”.
The climate bulletin of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) for the month of May states that there has been an increase in the area in drought, with the entire territory in a situation of meteorological drought.
The Portuguese Navy and the National Maritime Authority seized on Friday, June 16, in the south of Portugal, a high-speed vessel, linked to drug trafficking, without a crew and with 60 jerricans of fuel .