Category: Uncategorized

Europol has supported an international investigation led by France and Portugal, called ‘Operation Bouquet’, aimed to dismantle an international criminal network involved in facilitating irregular migration within the EU. The operation has led to the arrest of 69 individuals, nine of whom are key figures of the criminal network.

The smugglers were being investigated for providing transport for irregular migrants (of Hindustani origin) between Lisbon, Paris and the Belgian border, using their own vehicles and travelling along the main motorways to avoid detection. In Portugal, law enforcement authorities also investigated marriages of convenience between migrants and Portuguese women.

On the night of 26 September 2015, the French Brigade Mobile de Recherche (BMR) from Hendaye organised an operation on the toll barrier of Biarritz La Négresse. As a result, five vehicles belonging to the crime group and transporting irregular migrants were intercepted. Six smugglers were arrested, and 30 migrants (Hindustani nationals) apprehended.

In addition, the BMR searched two of the main suspects’ houses. Both individuals were found and arrested. Moreover, 30 irregular migrants were discovered inside one of the houses.

Holidaymakers and workers travelling in the country will be banned from driving if they flout traffic laws and could find themselves on a blacklist if they fail to pay fines.

Around 10,000 fake speed cameras and 500 real ones will also be introduced to scare motorists into slowing down, officials revealed yesterday.

The strict measures were announced by the French government in its latest bid to cut the number of road accidents. According to the UK Telegraph the, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said: ‘The French roads cannot be a cemetery.’

Accidents in France were 20 per cent higher in July than in the same month last year. A quarter of speeding offences in France are committed by foreign motorists, with the number increasing to 50 per cent in the summer months.

More than half a million British motorists are currently caught speeding in the country each year but police do not try to collect fines as the UK opted out of a 2011 EU directive.

Mr Valls’ comments came after a new directive was unanimously approved earlier this year.

The UK, Ireland and Denmark will have until 2017 to implement the rules, which include being able to target foreign motorists for offences including not using a seatbelt, drink driving, using a mobile phone and ignoring red lights.

Under the directive, each EU country will have a designated ‘national contact point’ in which prosecuting authorities will be able to access a database to trace foreign drivers.  A spokesman for the AA said: ‘From time to time the French have road safety blitzes but this one includes a particularly wide-ranging set of measures aimed at dealing with speeding.

‘The French have always been very strong in trying to catch foreign drivers speeding along their roads. ‘It has been well known that you could be pulled over by a policeman, taken down to the nearest cash machine and told to pay a deposit before you are allowed on your way.

‘In terms of parking enforcement and the payment of tolls, road authorities in many European countries have [also] found it very easy to chase up Brits at home.

‘The “virtual licence” scheme is just a technological upgrade. It all comes down to what the British government has agreed with the French in terms of cross-border enforcement.’

FINED, BANNED OR YOUR CAR CONFISCATED: HOW WILL THE NEW EU DIRECTIVE AFFECT YOU?

An EU directive outlining cross border enforcement for a series of traffic offences was approved earlier this year.

The UK, Ireland and Denmark will have until 2017 to implement the rules, which include being able to target foreign motorists for offences including not using a seatbelt, drink driving, using a mobile phone and ignoring red lights.

For first time, EU countries will have a designated ‘national contact point’ in which prosecuting authorities will be able to access a database to trace foreign drivers.

Suspected offenders will then receive a letter from the authorities in the country where the offence took place to warn of the legal consequences if fines isn’t paid.

British officials will be able to use the new law to pursue foreign motorists who commit offences in Britain, while foreign authorities will be able to do the same to UK offenders

The level of fines applicable is the same as for drivers of cars registered in the country where the offence is committed.

In France, British motorists could be banned from driving and have their cars confiscated if they accrue traffic offences.

Since the beginning of the year the Portuguese National Drug Authority (Infarmed) has detected 29 fraud with counterfeit drugs being sold over the internet and that may pose risk to the lives of users.

According to the agency, there are in Portugal 73 registered legal sites of prescription drugs, associated with 71 pharmacies and two drug sales points which are not subject to medical prescription.

Infarmed cannot quantify the damage caused by counterfeit drugs to the Portuguese State, but in action coordinated by Interpol in June 2015 (Operation Pangea VIII), more than 18 000 illegal drug units were detected being imported into Portugal.

In total the international operation, involving 115 countries, seized fake drugs worth approximately 72 million euros. For 2016 it is expected that medical packaging will have a QR code, an innovative barcode.

Comment

It is recommended that any prescription drugs should be purchased from a registered pharmacy and care should be taken purchasing medicines on line, to ensure that the seller is reputable.

A boy aged 9 years old is in critical condition after being shot in the head by another boy aged 11 years, whilst playing “cops and robbers” with guns at Merelim, S. Palo, Braga on 9^th October.

A few hours after the accident, the owner of the weapons, the victim’s uncle, was arrested by the Judicial Police of Braga. The gun is not legal and was reportedly not properly stored or secured.

After being admitted to Braga Hospital, at 17.30, the boy was transferred, by 19h40, for the service of Neurosurgery Pediatric Hospital of St. John in Porto. It has the bullet lodged in his head.

The uncle of the child will be heard this morning in the Judicial Court of Braga in the first judicial interrogation. He is indicted for possession of prohibited weapon crime. The INEM doctors gave support to children and family.

After the assessment by the Neurosurgery Hospital of Braga, it was concluded that the most correct was not making any surgical intervention and prior to transfer to St. John’s Hospital, “said yesterday Soraia Oliveira, head of the Emergency team of the hospital of Braga. The clinic said, “The boy is in very critical condition with the projectile lodged in the child’s head.

The boy who fired the shot is reportedly in a state of shock over the incident.

On 8^th October the Judicial Police, through the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, in cooperation with the Tax Authority and Customs, arrested four foreign nationals, two men and two women, strongly suspected being part of a network importing cocaine into the Iberian Peninsula, and further distribution through illicit circuits, considerable quantities of the drug shipped from South America by air.

The arrest of the two women took place at the Lisbon International Airport where a total of 16 kilograms of cocaine was discovered in the linings of two suitcases transported from Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia.

Based on this arrest by the Judicial Police, it was possible to identify and arrest the planned recipients of narcotic product, who lived in Madrid, but who had expressly travelled to Lisbon to collect the cocaine that had been seized. The detainees, aged between 28 and 54 years old, all of them unemployed, were present at the first judicial interrogation

Delta phase of fighting forest fires, with moderate risk period began on 1^st October and runs until 31st October. This succeeds the critical period of fires – Charlie phase, which ended on September 30.

During the Delta phase the following resources are mobilized 1,268 teams / groups / brigades of the different forces involved, comprising 5,517 personnel and 1,286 vehicles. With regards to air support there are a total of 22 aircraft available, including 3 light helicopters, 3 heavy helicopters, 8 medium helicopters, medium fixed wing aircraft, 6 amphibians and two heavy aircraft.

On 3rd October the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) conducted an operation, in coordination with the French authorities, under which they arrested six individuals, one of whom is in Portugal in connection with the trafficking of illegal immigrants.

A person aged 33 years was arrested by the SEF in Lisbon following a search his home and vehicle, under court orders.

The criminal investigation has been over a period of nearly two years, under the direction of DIAP Lisbon, in coordination with the French authorities aimed at a group of people who are dedicated to the transport of illegal immigrants from various countries of the European Union for Portugal, using false documents or fraudulently obtained documents.

During the investigation, called “Operation Bouquet ‘the network’s movements were closely watched, collecting abundant evidence of the operation of the group that was receiving considerable income collected from the payment of’ services’ provided to illegal immigrants. The trips were made by land, in light cars and minivans, with the various destinations in Europe.

The operation was initiated, with the monitoring of European agencies Europol and Eurojust, initially in France with the arrest of five individuals.

The operation is ongoing

So far this year the GNR and PSP have caught an average of almost 13 000 drunk drivers at the wheel with an alcohol rate of 1.20 g/l which is a criminal offence. This averages 47 per day.

This is an increase of 1900 cases compared to last year. In addition the PSP and GNR caught 181 345 drivers with alcohol rates between 0.20 and 1.19 g / l. In total, each day some 709 people are caught drunk driving.

According to data from police reported in Correio da Manha, between January 1 and 1^st October the GNR stopped 8720 drivers and the PSP 4274, who had crime alcohol limit equal to or greater than 1.20 g / l.

The highest number of drink driving cases have taken place in Braga 2791 with 971 arrests; Algarve 2620 with 936 arrests and Averio 268 with 1281 arrests.

“These figures are of concern and this why we are strengthening prevention operations. The drink driving together with speeding and the non – wearing of seat belts are the major causes of fatal accidents”, said the GNR source. The GNR is also concerned of the large proportion of drivers who had been caught over the criminal alcohol rate. In the three areas above some 39% of drivers caught were 1.20 g/l or over. It’s a very high proportion and it deserves reflection and probably increasing the penalties,” he argues.