Year: 2017

The PSP have stated that the 88 kgs of hashish sized on 9^th March in a garage of Ermesinde, Valongo, during the operation with the code name “Fruit of Morocco”, is worth around €2,235,000 market price.

The seizure of 88 kilograms of hashish in the town of Ermesinde is the result of the second phase of a police operation during which a search for a garage was carried out, said Commissioner Afonso Sousa of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) Porto, during a press conference. He added that the hashish would be enough for 447,000 doses.

Hashish was packed with a seal on which read “Fruit du Marroc” (Fruit of Morocco in French), but whose origin does not mean that it is from Morocco, as Afonso Sousa explained. He added hashish normally appears “with a label,” a denomination, “almost as a joke” that it is normal for the police to verify and cannot take that as a “consequence of being Moroccan origin.”

“The investigation focuses on what is the direct sale to the consumer. It is an investigation that began at the beginning of the year and that until now I have not been able to reach this level of information,” added the DIC commissioner of the PSP of Porto.

In addition to the seizure of 88 kilograms of hashish, PSP announced the arrest of two individuals who did not offer resistance during operations and who can now be heard by the authorities.

In a first phase of the operation, on March 3, also in Ermesinde, the DIC of the PSP of Porto had already seized seven kilograms of hashish and had arrested two men, 42 and 62 years old, who were remanded in custody.

At that stage, the PSP carried out four home and non-household searches in Ermesinde and Alfena, where it seized a motorcycle with a large displacement, a 32-caliber revolver, ammunition and utensils and tools used in the direct sale of drugs.

The PSP also announced on 10^th March that it has developed a separate police operation, which also culminated on Thursday with four home searches in the neighborhoods of Biquinha and Cruz de Pau, in the municipality of Matosinhos, where two other suspects were detained. 22 and 26 years of age, and seized “two kilograms of hashish”, in addition to 900 euros in cash.

 

The Assembly of the Republic unanimously approved today the final version of the bills that aims to aggravate the criminal framework for crimes of sports corruption.

The final text, which was based on three bills of law, the PSD, PS and CDS-PP, was approved unanimously on 8^th March 2017 in the first Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional, Direct, Guarantees.

The new wording provides for a one to eight year prison sentence for the crime of passive corruption (currently punishable by one to five years imprisonment) and five years for the crime of active corruption, punishable, up to now, with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine.

Eight Chinese and one Portuguese were detained by the Porto Judicial Police for integrating a network of tax fraud that during the last few years may have allowed an illegal profit of around ten million euros, with the non-payment of direct and indirect taxes.

The Judiciary is also investigating a money laundering scheme involving several casinos, but mainly one in particular. Everything indicates that it was in that gambling house that the money – the profit of the clothing stores and the illegal casinos – was laundered.

Around 100 million euros were handled. The investigation, conducted in conjunction with the Tax Authority, allowed them to find several pieces of evidence.

In the course of the operation, which also had the cooperation of the Aliens and Borders Service and the Food and Economic Security Authority, five people were identified and arrested with false documentation, two for illegal entry and stay and one for possession of a prohibited weapon.

The eight Chinese arrested by the Judiciary Police are between the ages of 29 and 65 and are businessmen. The Portuguese is unemployed and acts as a liaison between the suspects and the casino. During the day, the group will be present to the judicial authorities for interrogation and enforcement of the coercion measures considered appropriate.

Highlights

• More than 5 000 international Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) with more than 180 nationalities are currently under investigation in the EU.
• The number of organised crime groups that are involved in more than one criminal activity (poly-criminal) has increased sharply over the last years (45% compared to 33% in 2013)
• For almost all types of organised crime, criminals are deploying and adapting technology with ever greater skill and to ever greater effect. This is now, perhaps, the greatest challenge facing law enforcement authorities around the world, including in the EU.
• Cryptoware (ransomware using encryption) has become the leading malware in terms of threat and impact. It encrypts victims user generated files, denying them access unless the victim pays a fee to have their files decrypted.
• Document fraud has emerged as a key criminal activity linked to the migration crisis.
• Document fraud, money laundering and the online trade in illicit goods and services are the engines of organised crime.

 

The SOCTA 2017, Europol’s flagship product, represents the outcome of the largest data collection on serious and organised crime ever undertaken in the EU. Europol has been able to use its singular intelligence capability as the European information hub for criminal intelligence to analyse and identify the key crime threats facing the EU. These include cybercrime, illicit drugs, migrant smuggling, organised property crime, and the trafficking in human beings.”

Five Specific Priority Crime Threats:

• Cybercrime: Cybercrime is a key challenge to digital economies and societies. Cyber-dependent crime is underpinned by a mature Crime-as-a-Service model, providing easy access to the tools and services required to carry out cyber-attacks.
• Drug production, trafficking and distribution: Drug markets remain the largest criminal markets in the EU. More than one third of the criminal groups active in the EU are involved in the production, trafficking or distribution of various types of drugs. The industrial-scale production of synthetic drugs within the EU continues to expand and cements the EU as a key source region for these substances distributed worldwide.
• Migrant smuggling: Migrant smuggling has emerged as a highly profitable and widespread criminal activity for organised crime in the EU. The migrant smuggling business is now a large, profitable and sophisticated criminal market, comparable to the European drug markets.
• Organised property crime: Organised property crime encompasses a range of different criminal activities carried out predominantly by mobile OCGs operating across the EU. A steady increase in the number of reported burglaries over recent years is a particular concern in many Member States.
• Trafficking in human beings (THB): OCGs involved in THB often exploit existing migratory routes to traffic victims within the EU. While the migration crisis has not yet had a widespread impact on THB for labour exploitation in the EU, some investigations show that traffickers are increasingly targeting irregular migrants and asylum seekers in the EU for exploitation.

 

Crime in the age of technology

In the SOCTA 2017, Europol highlights in particular the role of technology. Criminals have always been adept at exploiting technology. However, the rate of technological innovation and the ability of organised criminals to adapt these technologies have been increasing steadily over recent years. Developments such as the emergence of the online trade in illicit goods and services are set to result in significant shifts in criminal markets and confront law enforcement authorities with new challenges.

• Drone technology is expected to advance allowing drones to travel greater distances and carry heavier loads. Organised Crime Groups involved in drug trafficking will likely invest in drone technology for trafficking purposes in order to avoid checks at border crossing points, ports and airports.
• Organised Crime Groups make use of various online services to facilitate their burglaries. This includes checking on social media platforms whether individuals are away from targeted residences, scouting targeted neighbourhoods using free online navigation tools.

Data as a key commodity

Data has become a key commodity for criminals: increasing internet connectivity by citizens, businesses and the public sector, along with the exponentially growing number of connected devices and sensors as part of the Internet of Things will create new opportunities for criminals.

Serious organised crime and terrorism

In many ways the profit-driven nature of organised crime is qualitatively different to terrorism. A nexus between the two exists, however, and may be expanding. Although the pursuit of criminal activities in support of terrorist activities is not a new phenomenon, the involvement of terrorist suspects with extensive criminal backgrounds and access to the resources and tools of organised crime networks in terrorism is a notable trend.

 

 

The prosecutor accused two people of negligent homicide of a girl who died after having “flown” inside an inflatable bouncy castle, installed in the parking lot of a restaurant, in Madeira.

According to the information provided on Wednesday on the website of the District Attorney’s Office of Lisbon (PGDL), the MP requested the trial by a singular court of two defendants for the crime of gross negligence homicide in so called “inflatable case”, which occurred on May 15, 2015.

According to PGDL, the charge “was levied against the owner of the equipment and against the person responsible for operating the establishment where the equipment was installed.”

According to the same information, the two defendants are indicted for that crime because the inflatable did not comply with safety rules and was not intended for outdoor use.

It also refers to the PDGL that, “due to the gusts of wind that were felt, between 70 and 80 kilometers per hour,” the inflatable “rose in the air, with the breaking of the moorings that tied it to the ground, and flew, eventually falling from a height of about eight meters. ”

This situation ended up “causing the death of an eight-year-old child who was playing inside.”

The investigation of this case was directed by the MP of the Local Instance of Santa Cruz, Madeira.

On March 1, the Public Prosecutor of Castelo Branco accused a 46-year-old former Proença-a-Nova firefighter of having committed 17 forest fire crimes last summer.

The largest of the fires, started on 7 September, burned 950,000 square meters (equivalent to almost 100 football fields) and caused losses estimated at more than 2.6 million euros.

The defendant had served in the Proença-a-Nova Volunteer Firefighters for 14 years, leaving the corporation only in December 2015. In the indictment, he did not disclose any professional occupation or motivation for the crimes.

The first fire investigated and attributed to the suspect by the Center’s Judicial Police occurred on July 17, along the Amoreira municipal road in the municipality of Proença-a-Nova. The arsonist went by car and, as always, set the fire with a device consisting of incense stick surrounded by matches pasted on with glue. It burned an area of ​​1800 square meters, with bush, pines, holm oaks, a chestnut tree and a fig tree.

The suspect acted in Proença and Serta, almost always in the afternoon. Only on July 25, in Serta, he set five fires. Judging by the indictment, he then went through a “certain calm period in the first three weeks of August, but by the end of that month he restarted his activities. These only ended on September 12, during which he started  fires with great frequency, which mobilized many resources to combat these.

The most serious fire began in the street of the Valley of the Frade, Proença-a-Nova. The man was already there on August 21, but without the effect achieved on September 7. On this day, the fire progressed uncontrollably and burned thousands of pines, eucalyptus, cork oaks, holm oaks, olive trees, fruit trees and vegetable gardens, as well as implements, cattle fences and two tractors.

The suspect is under house arrest, and the attorney-in-fact of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Castelo Branco has proposed that the measure of coercion remain in force because of the danger of continued criminal activity on the part of the accused.

Four members of the same family, who are headed by a 41-year-old man, ran a drug trafficking network for the entire Lisbon Metropolitan Area.

They were detained up by the PSP with almost 20 kilos of narcotics, valued at 600,000 euros, which could double by cutting the drug.

Commissioner Ribeiro, of the Criminal Investigation Division of the PSP of Lisbon, explained that traffickers rented high-end cars to transport the drug. In a BMW, the police took them “nine kilos of heroin and 5.3 cocaine hidden in a component of the vehicle, a tank that was emptied and used by the network as a hiding place for the drugs.

The 5.5 kilograms of hashish were found in the family home. “This is the biggest apprehension of the year by the PSP,” said Nelson Ribeiro. “The group was trafficking for the entire Lisbon Metropolitan Area and selling it to consumers and small traffickers. It is understood that the group – two men and two women, with no criminal record – were going to sell the drugs abroad. In addition to drugs and money, PSP also picked up material that would be used to mix (cut) the pure drug and multiply the doses.

Allegedly robbed at home by two false EDP officials, Rosa Macedo, 80, had hoped that the criminals would be punished and gold recovered. But the alleged clues she provided to the police were not enough and the case was shelved by the Public Prosecution Service (PM) late last year, as reported by the Jornel de Noticais (JN).

In September 2015, the elderly woman complained to the authorities about the theft of all the gold (rings, threads, earrings and rings), worth 4200 euros, which she kept in the wardrobe. At the time, she described as the perpetrators two women, looking between 30 and 40 years old, who entered her apartment on Rua de Faria Guimarães in Oporto, under the pretext of collecting their data for her to receive “discounts” from light.

“It was lunchtime. They took advantage of the moment when my husband went out for coffee and they went in. One stayed talking to me and the other one walked around the house,” Rosa Macedo told JN, revealing that she only noticed the assault on the following day. “Everything they took me has sentimental value, such as 25-year-old wedding rings and a cordon of my grandmother,” he lamented.

The elderly woman, retired from the Civil Service, indicated to the PSP as alleged “moral author” of the crime a cleaning maid who worked at her house, suspecting that she would have revealed to the two women the hiding place of the gold. And she also reported a “strange” phone call received from someone questioning whether she “was satisfied with EDP.” The maid, heard as an accused, denied the theft. Regarding the phone call, another woman was identified, but claimed that she made the call by mistake and did not make any reference to EDP. Already after the suit is filed, Rosa Macedo says she received another phone call from a woman who demanded money to return a stolen cord.

The prosecution maintained that the victim’s testimony was not corroborated by other evidence.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is urging over 55s to check investment opportunities are genuine before they part with their money. This comes as new research*, commissioned as part of the FCA’s ScamSmart campaign, reveals that only two in five (42%) think they know how to spot a fraudulent investment opportunity. Fraudsters are targeting the growing over 55 population because they are more likely to have money to invest.

Last year, victims of investment fraud lost on average £32,000** as fraudsters employed increasingly advanced psychological tactics to persuade victims to invest. One of the most common methods used by fraudsters is to pressurise potential investors to make a quick decision on a time-limited investment offer. This new research found that more than half (53%) of the over 55s surveyed believed acting quickly can be key to getting a good deal, demonstrating how many could be vulnerable to this tactic.

A third (34%) said it is best not to discuss investment decisions with others and fewer than half (48%) said they would be likely to seek impartial advice before making an investment. These attitudes are seized on by fraudsters, who often urge their target to keep the offer a secret, in order to prevent others from dissuading them from investing.

45% of over 55s surveyed agreed that investment opportunities are more attractive if you know of others who have made similar investments. Fraudsters may exploit this by saying that others want in on the deal or have already benefitted.

Interestingly, those surveyed were more aware of certain signs of investment fraud, but less aware of others. For example, 92% agreed being contacted out of the blue could be a warning sign, but 19% were unaware that being promised returns above the market rate could also be a tactic.  The common tactics used by fraudsters include:

• Offering lucrative returns above the market rate and downplaying the risks of the investment
• Using flattery to make potential victims feel good, such as praising them for being a knowledgeable investor
• Saying that the deal is only available to the target and asking them to keep it a secret
• Saying that other clients have invested or want in on the deal (known as ‘social proof’)
• Putting them under pressure to invest in a time-limited offer

The FCA is urging consumers to be sceptical and cautious before they invest their money. If someone invests their money with an unauthorised firm then they will have no protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.

To avoid being a victim of investment fraud, the FCA advises consumers to, at the very least:

• Reject unsolicited contact about investments
• Before investing, check the Financial Services Register to see if the firm or individual you are dealing with is authorised and check the FCA Warning List of firms to avoid
• Get impartial advice before investing

The number of pet cruelty offenses registered by the GNR last year has increased compared to 2015, totalling 767, representing a growth of more than a hundred cases.

In a statement, the GNR, through the Service of Protection of Nature and the Environment (SEPNA), predicts that, in 2016, and following inspection actions, 767 crimes were registered, 112 more than in the same period of 2015, which corresponds to an average of two per day.

According to the GNR data, 3694 complaints of ill-treatment were registered last year, 116 fewer than in the same period of 2015 (which corresponds to an average of 10 per day).

The highest number of complaints were recorded in the month of March (374), February (366), January (361) and May (351).

According to SEPNA data, the districts with the highest number of complaints last year were Lisbon (591), Setúbal (556), Porto (471), Aveiro (291) and Faro (240).

186 complaints were registered in Madeira and in the Azores 195, according to the data.

Surveillance of pet mistreatment is done through SEPNA, and denunciations can be sent to the SOS Environment and Territory line (808200520) or through the GNR web page .

The law criminalizing maltreatment of animals entered into force on October 1, 2014.

“Who, without legitimate cause, inflicts pain, suffering or any other physical ill-treatment on a companion animal shall be punished with imprisonment for up to one year or with a fine of up to 120 days,” according to the law. Feathers may be aggravated if the animal dies or becomes incapacitated.

Whoever leaves an animal is punished with a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to 60 days. Source Diario de Noticais