Year: 2017

The National Republican Guard carried out, from April 5 to 9, throughout the national territory, an operation to supervise the exercise of private security activity, in order to detect irregular situations in the performance of these functions.

In the course of the operation, the GNR Territorial Commands and the Tax Action Unit detained a person for an unlawful exercise of private security activity and detected 164, mainly:

• 56 regarding vigilantes;
• 46 relating to video surveillance systems;
• 24 relating to catering establishments and beverages with dance floors;
• 20 relating to commercial areas.

The private security activity presently plays an important role in protecting people and property and in preventing and deterring the practice of illicit acts, in a complementary and subsidiary way to the activity of the security forces.

The Portuguese authorities (Judiciary Police and Public Prosecutor’s Office) have sent more than 8,000 requests directly to Facebook, Microsoft and Google since 2013 to obtain evidence in cases of cybercrime suspicions.

The Diario de Noticais which covered the story states these are crimes of a distinct nature but with one point in common: those undertaken through the internet and between computers. Fraudulent online sales cases (which take up a significant portion of cybercrime), identity theft, fake profile creation on Facebook, child pornography, or bank phishing.

The data are contained in the Annual Report of the Office of Cybercrime (affection for the Office of the Attorney General) and evaluates the period from January 2013 to June 2016.

In detail, the authorities sent 2,622 requests for clarification directly to the company of Mark Zuckeberg, 2847 to Microsoft and 2798 to Google. A total of 8267 requests sent through a direct contact, thus dispensing with the most bureaucratic routes. A method of work admitted since 2013 in which these three North American operators were approached by the Portuguese Public Prosecutor’s Office “for the purpose, which was accepted, of establishing criteria of understanding and cooperation. As a result of this approach, it became possible to formulate directly requests to those US service providers, “the report explains. ” No need to resort to the channels of international cooperation.

This mechanism has proven to be highly effective in practice, facilitating the collection of essential information for criminal investigation expeditiously without the need for bureaucratic complexities of mutual legal assistance mechanisms. ”

The report also reveals that cases of child pornography – some of these cases carried through social networks and websites – have increased. From October 2013 to June 2016, the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) received 2880 reports. Of these, 1350 gave rise to the opening of inquiry, of which 601 were sent to regions. According to the 2016 Annual Homeland Security Report – revealed this month – crimes of child pornography on the Internet grew by 36 % Compared to 2015.

 

Agents of the Spanish National Police and the Police of Catalonia dismantled an organized criminal group that stole high-end vehicles, after renting them with fake documents and then sold them in Libya and Algeria. Source Jornel de Noticais

In a joint statement, police explained that four men – three men and one woman of Moroccan and Tunisian nationality – had been detained in the operation and that the group had rented one million euros worth of vehicles in Spain, Portugal, Germany and Luxembourg.

Once the vehicles were rented, the members of this criminal group replaced the license plates with false ones and transported the cars to the port of Genoa, Italy, where they were shipped to Tunis, Tunisia, and then proceeded by land to the place of sales.

According to the Spanish news agency EFE, a large number of documents related to the illicit traffic of vehicles have been seized in the households that the group members had registered in the cities of El Papiol, Centelles and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (all in the province of Barcelona) computer, credit cards, different car keys, a fake document detector, number plates and a forger kit.

The police operation began in May 2016, when the Catalan police learned that a man of Spanish nationality and Tunisian origin had stolen several high-end vehicles in several European countries to send them to the African continent.

Given the coincidence of another parallel investigation of the same criminal group by the National Police, a joint investigation team was created under the supervision of the judicial authority.

The detainees are charged with 20 crimes of misappropriation, falsification of documents and money laundering.

After being heard by the authorities, one of the three detainees was held in custody.

 

The National Republican Guard, SEPNS’s unit conducted from April 3 to 9, throughout the national territory, Operation COBRA under its remit of protecting wildlife species. The aim was to prevent, detect and repress situations of trafficking, exploitation, commercialization and possession of such animals.

During the operation, the military of the Territorial Commands, in coordination with the SEPNA structure, inspected 170 commercial establishments and nine fairs, with the following results:

• 38 cases of misconduct;
• 37 animals seized;
• 14 handicrafts made with animal parts (ivory) seized.

This Operation took place within the framework of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international trade in specimens of species of wild fauna and flora (live specimens of animals and plants and their Parts and derivatives) on the basis of a system of licenses and certificates proving their legal origin.

The GNR Territorial Command of Leiria, through the Territorial Detachment of Pombal recovered yesterday, April 10, in Figueiró dos Vinhos, hundreds of articles stolen from the interior of residences.

During the investigation, two domiciliary searches and two non-domiciliary searches were carried out and two men were identified.

The following items were seized; Electrical building tools; DIY tools; Agricultural tools; Electric material; Plumbing material; Hoses; 950 liters of normal diesel; 550 liters of marked / colored diesel, Four 11-kg propane gas cylinders; Four cylinders of 11-well butane gas; 19 wheels; 12 tires of various brands / sizes; A trumpet; 210 recorded DVD’s.

The two suspects, aged 34 and 39, were accused and subjected to an identity and residence term.

The action was supported by the Fiscal Action Unit.

According to reports in El Pais newspaper, about 800 Portuguese students have caused serious damage to a hotel in Torremolinos. The police value in “thousands of euros” the destruction, although the figure is pending final valuation.

According to police sources the students tore up tiles, threw mattresses out the windows, emptied fire extinguishers in the hotel corridors and even threw a television in the bathtub.

The events took place at the Hotel Pueblo Camino Real, located on the beach front in the Los Alamos area of ​​Torremolinos, on Friday night (7^th April)

Those responsible for the establishment have reported the damage to the police, which has opened an investigation. The hotel he acknowledges that nothing like that had ever happened to them before.

It has been subsequently reported that many of the students are being returned to Portugal under escort of the PSP police who are working with their Spanish counterparts concerning this matter. The incident has been confirmed by the PSP.

At this time, hundreds of students from Portugal usually travel to Benalmadena or Torremolinos to celebrate their end of school year.

A man was arrested on 3^rd April on suspicion of defrauding an elderly woman in Setúbal following the entry into circulation of the new note of 50 euros

The Territorial Command of the Republican National Guard (GNR) of Setubal said that the man, 69, was “a bank employee and approached the victim in her residence convincing her to give him all the 50 euro banknotes that she had them at home to change them for new ones. ”

The suspect claimed that the old banknotes would go out of circulation and fled towards Setúbal, according to the GNR.

“The old woman gave 28 banknotes of 50 euros to the suspect who fled towards Setúbal,” the GNR said, adding that “after learning of what happened, the military began proceedings that allowed them to locate and intercept the suspect still in possession of the stolen money” .

The man was subject to term of identity and residence.

The new 50 euro note, the most used in the euro zone, entered into circulation on 4^th April, with authorities believed to be safer than the current note of the same value that is more counterfeit.

The new orange note will circulate at the same time of the current note of the same value, and there is no need to exchange the old notes.

Also, GNR said on Tuesday it was carrying out awareness-raising actions to prevent fraud related to the entry into circulation of the new 50 euro note.

The GNR warned that “there is no one mandated by any banking institution to collect the old 50 euro banknotes and that, should they come across such proposals, they should contact” the nearest GNR post.

To make sure the grade is not false, GNR advises citizens to use the “Play, Watch and Tilt” method.

Thus the consumer must feel the relief print on the left and right sides, observe in the light to see “a portrait of Europe, figures representing value and the main motif, as well as a small window-shaped cutout” and tilting the note so as to “see the emerald number with an up and down movement light effect”.

This hologram presents a picture of Europe and the figures representative of the value of the note.

The Judiciary Police detained a couple on suspicion of computer fraud, counterfeiting credit cards and seized computer hardware, consoles, video games, watches, brand clothing, perfumes and about 10,000 euros in cash.

In a statement released on 6^th April 2017, the PJ said that the 29-year-old couple had been using “third-party bank card data” for more than a year, buying goods fraudulently and committing computer fraud and counterfeiting equivalent to a currency, amounting to 280,000 euros.

The investigation of the National Unit to Combat Cybercrime and Technological Crime began a year ago and was assisted by Paywatch, a fraud detection and prevention organization.

“The detainees made this practice their way of life, and after the acquisition of the goods, they resold both in the online market and at cash converters,” reads the note.

The Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) announced on 7^th April that it had seized about 5,000 liters of frozen goat’s milk for lack of traceability in the district of Viseu.

In a statement, ASAE explains that, on March 29, the specialized inspection brigade of the animal products industries of the Regional Unit of the Center carried out “an inspection action directed at a cheese-making industry in the district of Viseu “.

The objective was “to ensure compliance with the general food safety requirements”, he explained.

According to the ASAE, as a result of this action “a process of mismanagement was identified namely a lack of traceability of the milk. As a result they seized about five thousand liters of frozen goat’s milk, with a total value of around 3200 euros.”

ASAE guarantees that it will continue to develop surveillance actions throughout the national territory”.

The Tribunal de Penafiel sentenced a former bar owner for aiding prostitution, to pay money earned from prostitution to the State after having been calculated the difference between the declared income and his assets.

The former manager of a Lixa alternating house in Felgueiras was sentenced to pay 253,000 euros to the State, an amount that the Tribunal de Penafiel estimated to be derived from the practice of aiding prostitution and illegal immigration.

The owner was also sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment, suspended.