Year: 2015

The report rates each country individually covers four sub-indexes, 14 pillars, and 90 individual indicators, distributed among the different pillars these range from the environment, trade, price competitiveness, employment, social conditions etc.

Closely aligned to this is the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – Economic Impact of Travel and Tourism summary report for 2015, which concludes that in the last two years the world has been facing geopolitical tensions from the Middle East and Ukraine to South-East Asia, growing terrorism threats and fear of the spread of global pandemics. Should they persist, these global challenges could have significant further repercussions on the Travel and tourism industry, as they touch on the pre-condition for the sector to grow and develop-the ability of people to travel safely.

To date, the effect of such events on travel & tourism has been mixed. While some countries have witnessed significant decreases in the number of international visitors, other destinations have remained unaffected.

Interestingly, it is notable that the travel and tourism sector has actually continued to grow over these past years and according to the Portugal study report by the WTTC all economic factors within the industry are forecast to grow this year. The WTTC report is good news for Portugal.

Noteworthy in the WEF report is that of the 19 factors for each country, Portugal’s highest rating is for Safety and Security, compared for instance with “International Openness” where it is placed 72nd and Health and Hygiene at 35th place.

Apart from the crime impacting on business costs, the report rates the “reliability of the Police Service, placing Portugal in 29th place; the most reliable police service being Finland followed by New Zealand. The UK is rated 26th place, Spain 20th and France 30th.

As expected in terms of terrorism, Portugal rates highly at 7th place in terms of the impact on business costs, and in terms of the number of homicides is at 30th place.

Six house search warrants were executed and vehicles,silver jewellery, 720 euros in cash, 32 kilos of tobacco and 147 smartphones, were seized. The arrested persons, aged 21 and 41, were part of an organization that undertook robberies targeted at commercial / industrial establishments, farms, houses and jewellers and were carried out mainly at night time. It is reported that they had taken part in around 10 robberies over the last four months.

Most of the detainees have criminal records, for the crimes of conspiracy, theft and armed robbery, one of whom was deported from the country in 2011. This investigation, which lasted four months and ended with the arrests was conducted by the GNR Criminal Section of the Operations Research Group of the Special Intervention Unit (IU), which was coordinated by the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) in Lisbon.

Fifty GNR soldiers participated in the operation including the Territorial Commands of Setúbal and Portalegre. Of the six arrested, five were held in custody.

On the night of 27^th/28^th May 2015, the Judicial Police, through the Department of Criminal Investigation of Ponta Delgada, in conjunction with the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, as part of an operation that took place during the last days, detained five foreign men and seized a sail boat and approximately 1,150 kgs of cocaine transported reportedly from the Caribbean. The sail boat was sailing under a US flag.

This is the largest seizure of cocaine that has occurred in the Azores. The operation, with the assistance of Maritime police took place on the island of Faial, and was part of a broader framework to identify, combat and dismantle organized criminal networks that have been using this this method to traffic cocaine into Europe.

It has been reported that the drugs have a street value of Euro 300 million, making it one of the largest seizures worldwide this year.

It is understood from media reports that the French and British police were involved in the investigation leading to the operation.

The detainees, aged between 29 and 54 years old, (four Serbs and one German) have appeared before a competent judicial authority for the first judicial interrogation and have been placed in remand.

According to the president of the union of inspectors, SEF has not admitted inspectors for 12 years and that the service is “aged” and “on the verge of collapse. He also accused “other police forces” of wanting to absorb the service.

This was stated on Friday 29th May by the president of the Association of Research and Control Career (SCIF), the opening of the XVIII Congress of the union in Lisbon. According Acacio Pereira, the SEF currently has 714 inspectors with an average age of 42 years. “These are few professionals who, day and night, every day of the year, have to control all seaports, land and air borders in continental Portugal and islands, while developing research and prevention activities,” he added.

The President of SCIF complained of “disinvestment” in government service – a policy, illustrated recently with the suspension of participation of SEF in the missions of the European agency Frontex due to a “absolute and complete lack of human resources.” Acacio Pereira attributes the lack of investment, will mean “other police forces will have to absorb an excellent service; a step that he warns, is “wrong” of the efficacy point of view. “If the SEF, which is a modern force, efficient,
technologically capable and financially sustainable, generating 60% of revenues for their expenses, is absorbed by larger forces, all its qualities will be diluted with greater inefficiency.

A former Minister of Internal Affairs, Rui Pereira, who attended the Congress, admitted that when he reached the government he had the “intention to extinguish” SEF, but “I was completely against. It’s  bad idea and would create disorder in the internal security system”.

The XVIII Congress of the union SEF inspectors was held last Friday at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences.

In mid-May, Europol supported the Spanish Guardia Civil in carrying out Operation Snake. The operation targeted and dismantled a large transnational organised crime network which operated in Spain and was composed of Chinese citizens laundering the proceeds of various criminal activities.

Operating since at least 2009, this criminal network is thought to be the subsidiary of an even larger criminal network based in China. Over the last six years, the European branch of the group collected and laundered more than Euro 300 million primarily in southern European countries. Most of the laundered funds are believed to have already been transferred out of the EU.

The network imported various types of products into the EU, including counterfeit products, using fraudulent document and engaging in excise tax fraud. The criminal network facilitated its activities by establishing complex corporate structures and relying on front men and third parties in their transactions.

Imported products were sold in the EU without declaring excise taxes and generated significant profits of at least Euro 14 million. These undeclared profits were laundered using a large number of low-level associates, who deposited small sums of money in hundreds of personal bank accounts and transferred the money back to China.

Having established an infrastructure to successfully launder significant amounts of money, the Chinese network also offered money laundering and international remittance services to other organised crime groups in exchange for the payment of a negotiated percentage of the laundered funds. The Chinese network had contacts in various EU Member States including Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The group also operated several clothing factories in the vicinity of Madrid where Chinese labourers were exploited.

Operation Snake involved more than 200 Spanish law enforcement officers and was supported by Europol’s Financial Intelligence Group. The Operation was the result of a complex international criminal investigation lasting for more than two years.

Operation Snake so far resulted in the arrests of 32 members of the Chinese network, the search of 65 private residences and company premises in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia as well as the seizure of 20 high-value vehicles and more than Euro 1 million in cash.

Europol was able to make valuable and tangible contribution to this successful operation by assisting the Spanish Guardia Civil with the deployment of a Europol team to Madrid. The team provided on-the-spot real-time intelligence analysis, which allowed for the identification of several transnational links.

It was reported on 28^th May that the Judicial Police, through the National Counter Terrorism Unit (UNCT) following an investigation by DIAP Lisbon, had arrested a 56 year old man, allegedly the perpetrator of armed robberies at various banks.

The detainee is suspected to be responsible for at least sixteen armed robberies (including two attempted robberies) committed over a period of several years in Lisbon metropolitan area and neighbouring localities. A gun and clothing used in the robberies were found in his possession.

The detainee will be brought before the first court hearing for the application of appropriate enforcement measures pending

On 25^th May 2015, the Judicial Police, through the National Unit for Combating Corruption in connection with an investigation led by DIAP Lisbon, seized, at Lisbon Airport, two suitcases containing about one million euros and 3.5 million yuan (Chinese currency) bundles of notes wrapped in cellophane.

The money was in the possession of a woman and a man, who were preparing to board a flight to Shanghai.

The suspects, aged 22 to 47 years of age with permanent visas in Portugal, were made defendants in connection with money laundering offences. The investigation is continuing.

On 17^th May 2015 there were several football games played in the penultimate round of the 1st Football League at stadiums located in areas under the ​​responsibility of Public Security (PSP), specifically in the cities of Lisbon and Guimaraes. Because these are games that potentially could dictate the winner of this year’s championship, PSP, based on the available information, including historical information concerning these games and in association with the Clubs themselves, assessed these as high risk in terms of the threat to public order.

Consequently the PSP employed police units considered appropriate to deal with the risk.

At the end of the games celebrations took place is various cities under the responsibility of the PSP without any of significant security incidents.

However, as is common knowledge and has been widely reported by various media outlets; in the cities of Guimarães and Lisbon challenges to public order, necessitated police intervention in order to restore public order, to ensure the security of persons and property.

Specifically, on May 17 in the city Guimarães, including in the vicinity of D. Afonso Henriques Stadium, the following took place:

a) At about 17:45 hrs there were several areas of tension before the football game, with especially in the vicinity of Stadium involving about 500 Benfica (SLB) fans and about 300 Victory Sport Club fans from Guimarães (VSC). The clash between fans of both teams included the throwing bottles, stones, pyrotechnic articles (commonly known fiery lights and firecrackers) and aggression. The PSP was forced to intervene to stop the disorder which had resulted in damage to vehicles parked on public roads and outdoor furniture;

b) Upon arrival at the stadium of the bus carrying the Benfica team, was attacked with various objects, resulting in broken windows;

c) The game itself passed without any significant challenges to public order;

d) At the end of the game, a group of supporters who, caused extensive damage to existing furniture on site, with partial destruction of some toilets and a bar (the sports arena) and the theft of storage material and the subsequent theft of merchandising belonging to another group of fans;

e) At the end of the game, in the vicinity of the stadium, there was a police action that resulted in the arrest of a citizen. This occurrence was filmed by a television station and widely publicized. After viewing the images in question, the PSP decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the police element involved in the arrest.

f) As a result of the various police interventions, six arrests were made for contempt, insults, threats with a replica firearm and possession of fireworks;

g) Assistance was provided by teams of Red Cross to deal with injuries both to police officers and citizens arising from the disorder.

Specifically, on 17 and 18 May in Lisbon, there was:

a) At about 21:45 on the 17th, disorder took place requiring police intervention at the in public transport area of Campo Grande, involving supporters of both teams which resulted in three people injured as well as two policemen;

b) At about 00:45 on the 18th, the team and entourage of Sport Lisboa e Benfica (SLB) arrived at Marquis of Pombal with escorted by police without any incident during the journey;

c) At approximately 01:20 of the 18th, there was a security incident in the vicinity of Eduardo VII Park, with serious public disorder due to an altercation between some supporters, which included throwing various objects, including glass bottles. In order to contain the incident in question and prevent this becoming worse, police intervened, with glass bottles and other objects being thrown at the police.

d) The initial police intervention located, was not able to put an end to the disorder and it was therefore necessary to gather police reinforcements using force to restore public order;

e) During the incident 16 police officers were injured with multiple abrasions, mainly due to throwing stones, glass bottles and fireworks, and a traffic division vehicle was damaged with a broken glass;

f) The PSP is unaware of the number of citizens who also may have been injured on site;

g) Thirteen arrests for possession of fireworks and attacks on policemen in service were made;

h) During the operation several pyrotechnic material, was seized and is being analysed;

i) The PSP also received 13 complaints of robberies that occurred on public roads during the festivities;

j) At about 0400 hrs on the 18th law and order was restored in the Marques de Pombal and the vicinity and the area was open to traffic by 0530 hrs.

Finally, in Oporto police intervention was required in different parts of the city, in the context with the festivities, but were dealt with without the need for greater operational employment interventions However, seven people were arrested for drug trafficking, possession of fireworks, possession of a prohibited gun and through the execution of an arrest warrant.

In total the police operation resulted in the arrest of 26 people for various offences.

The PSP regrets that the festive events degenerated into violent situations that required police intervention to restore public order and ensure the safety of people and property.

Issued in Portuguese by the PSP National Office, May 18, 2015

Spanish Police have reported that the, Abou, was found inside the case being carried by a 19-year-old woman into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on Thursday.

When police opened the case, they found the boy in a “terrible state”, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil told AFP.

The boy, from Ivory Coast, is now in the care of authorities in Ceuta.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the 19 year woman is not related to the boy and was paid by his father to carry the suitcase.

The boy’s father lives in the Canary Islands and had hoped to be reunited with his son, El Pais said.

The Spanish news agency Efe said the boy’s father, also named Abou, had travelled back to Ivory Coast to pick him up, having moved to Gran Canaria in 2013.

The father then reportedly paid the courier to carry the suitcase. A police spokesman told Efe: “She seemed to hesitate, and it looked as though she didn’t want to come through the border.

“At first we thought that there could be drug packages, but gradually discovered that it was a human body.”

The boy’s father travelled across the border an hour-and-a-half after his son. At that point, Efe said, he was detained by border guards.

Ceuta and another Spanish enclave, Melilla, sit on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, and are each surrounded on three sides by Morocco.

Madrid says they are integral parts of Spain and manages their borders, but Morocco claims sovereignty over the territories.

Despite being surrounded by six-metre-high fences, the enclaves have proved to be popular areas for migrants to try to cross into Europe from Africa.

Human Rights Watch says that at least 4,300 people entered Ceuta and Melilla illegally in 2013, compared to 2,804 the year before.

In February last year, hundreds of migrants stormed the fence in Melilla in one day and around 100 managing to make it into the enclave.

Some 300 plus people attended the Local Lodging Seminar in Faro on 21st April, in Faro. It was certainly a full house with a multi-national audience, representing various industries including, property management agencies, letting companies, lawyers as well as individual property owners.

The Secretary of State for Turirsm Adolfo Mesquita Nunes was present and gave an overview of the introduction of the regulations stating that he was open to constructive comment and suggestions on bringing about further improvement.

The seminar included introductions from the Mayor of Faro also representing AMAL, the Vice President of Turismo do Algarve and myself. There were then a number of presentations from Turismo de Portugal, ASAE, SEF, the Judicial Police, GNR and finally the National association of Local Lodging Establishments. As expected the presentation from SEF, which included an on-line demonstration of the reporting procedures, drew many questions as it was clear that not everyone who attended was aware of the reporting conditions, and why they had been put in place.

The seminar also served to launch the National Association of Local Lodging Establishments.

The Secretary of State unfortunately had to leave after about an hour and a half to attend an urgent meeting in Lisbon.

During the question time, which lasted 90 minutes, there were many questions concerning the new regulations, the necessity of reporting to SEF, data privacy, etc, etc. An excellent suggestion was made that the need for carbon monoxide detectors should be included in the regulations where a gas supply was being provided. Also there was a lengthy debate on how to get more owners to comply. This culminated with a pledge by me that we would meet with Turismo de Portugal, ASAE and NALLE shortly to see the best way to seek the cooperation of the large rental advertisers in the UK, to mention on their websites the need for properties to have an AL in Portugal.

An evaluation was conducted at the end of the seminar and there was an overwhelming consensus, that the attendees had found the seminar useful and had improved their knowledge.

This is the first time that a seminar of this type involving nearly a dozen government officials had been held on this subject.

For those who could not attend the seminar, the presentations can be found on the SCA website here. Questions concerning local lodging can be directed to NALLE at info@nalle.pt.