Category: Uncategorized

From 17th to 19th July the GNR will increase operations through at patrol and support to road users along the most critical routes in their area of responsibility, in order to ensure safety for citizens moving to / from summer places and / or various events during this time of the year.

During the three days of this 2nd phase of Operation Hermes, around 2834 personnel from the National Traffic Unit and territorial commands, will pay particular attention to driver behaviour that  increases the risk to road safety, namely: · Driving under the influence of alcohol and psychotropic substances; · Speeding; · Not using seat belt and / or child restraint systems; · Improper use of mobile phones; · Dangerous overtaking, change of direction, reversing the against direction of travel, failure to give way and keep safety distances and • Driving without legal requirements.

Operation Hermes runs throughout the summer period, from 03 July to 30 August. During this period the GNR will intensify its actions at various stages providing support to to road users.

Realizing that a lifeguard at Praia do Cantinhoin in Esmoriz, was struggling to rescue a swimmer water, and both were being swept away by the strong current, GNR Guarda Caldas, 33, did not hesitate to intervene.

He dived into the sea and saved the 61-year-old man as well as helping the lifeguard, both of whom returned to the beach safely. The heroic act occurred on 14^th July at 11.00. The military of the GNR, who works with a bicycle patrol at beaches, became aware of a gathering of people and ran immediately to the scene.

After the rescue, although frightened, neither the victim nor the lifeguard needed to be transported to the hospital.

Captain Ribeiro, head of the Detachment of GNR Ovar told the newspaper: “This is not the first time he saved somebody. Two years ago he rescued a person from the sea. So now he is a hero. He always tries to go beyond their mission.”

Circular was published No. 05 / SP / 2015 of 18 June, on “Payment of licensing fees.” This Circular sets out the procedures to be adopted by entities that require the following services and promotes changes to the way payments should be made inherent in the processing:

• Professional Card Application (Personnel Surveillance / Security Officer)
• Initial application / renewal / license endorsement – Initial application / renewal / endorsement of self-protection permit for streamlining new procedures for payment of fees due by administrative proceedings referred to above with reference is made new models of professional card application:
• M-40.1 – Card Request Professional Private Security
• M-50.1 – Professional Card Application Security Officer

The new application models are effective 22.06.2015, must expressly mention who is responsible for payment card – the applicant or the principal to Private which this is bound. For this purpose the form must be completed in electronic form and contain a valid email of the applicant for sending the billing and invoice note. From that date, for the procedures in question, advance payments should not be made (in cash or by transfer) and must await the receipt of the billing statement.

Europol has supported Spanish police* in an operation codenamed Walker, to take down a serious cybercriminal group during a coordinated action in Barcelona. With on-the-spot support from Europol, the action in Spain on 6 July resulted in the arrest of nine suspects, the dismantling of a sophisticated illegal call centre, six house searches and the seizure of numerous pieces of evidence; over 100 mobiles phones and stolen SIM cards, more than EUR 10 000 in cash, credit cards, computer equipment and other devices were taken away for further forensic examination.

The aim of this investigation was to target the cybercriminals and their accomplices who were involved in large scale telecommunication fraud as well as channelling and cashing-out the proceeds of their crimes. The criminals made fraudulent phone calls to premium service numbers set up and managed by other members of the criminal group based outside the EU. Each cybercriminal had their specialty and the group was involved in receiving mobile phones stolen from tourists in Spain, then harvesting and misusing the foreign mobile numbers (until they were blocked by the telecom operators in their countries), before then sending the money earned abroad.

Law enforcement analysed thousands of financial transactions to reconstruct the money flows and destinations across several jurisdictions. The criminal group relied on a network of accomplices who operated the destination bank accounts.

This was a very active criminal group and the damage caused by them is estimated to be at least EUR 2 million, affecting victims in various countries.

This international revenue share fraud (IRSF) is an insidious form of organised criminal activity that generates significant profits for the criminal groups and undermines the legal economy. The global estimated illegal income from this type of crime is more than EUR 45 million. Cooperation between law enforcement authorities, Europol and the telecommunication companies was crucial for the success of this operation, which represents a milestone in this specific area of digital crime.

On 7th July the Judicial Police, in a joint operation conducted by the Centre’s Board and North Board, with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department of Aveiro, identified and arrested ten men and a woman suspected of several robberies, perpetrated with the use of firearms.

The gang are believed responsible for more that 15 robberies using stolen vehicles in various locations situated between Aveiro and Braga and specifically on the metropolitan area of Porto. In some of criminal actions, particularly  “carjackings”, the suspects used sirens and flashing lights on the stolen vehicles attempting to pose as Police Officers.

The stolen vehicles, after being used in robberies were then burned or sold.

In the early hours of Tuesday a major Police operation was conducted in the Greater Porto region, targeting this gang, in order undertaking about thirty search warrants at homes As a result they found and seized cars, firearms, disguises, narcotic products, plus other items and documents with high evidential interest.

In some of the neighbourhoods where some conflict was predictable, the Judicial Police was supported by ten Special Unit Police teams and two Quick’s PSP Metropolitan Command of Porto intervention units.

The detainees, aged 19 to 46, some of them with criminal records for crimes of the same nature, will be present at first judicial interrogation, with a view to implementing appropriate enforcement measures.

On the 9th July the Judicial Police, through the Directorate of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, reported that they had identified and arrested two men, 30 and 22 years old, indicted for committing a number of robberies at gunpoint.

The police investigation stems from last year and found that the detainees, along with others who have yet to be identified, carried out between November 2014 and March this year robberies at about thirty premises, including fuel filling stations, pharmacies and restaurants, in the municipalities of Sintra, Cascais, Oeiras and Vila Franca de Xira.

The group wore hoods and had a strongly violent and intimidating profile, using firearms, especially shotguns and pistols, to conducting the robberies, in one case hitting a victim with two shots. The Judicial Police seized since some of the firearms used in robberies and are continuing investigations to identify and arrest the remaining culprits. 

The detainees have been presented for the first judicial interrogation.

Thirteen of the 14 defendants arrested on Thursday 2nd July in an investigation involving private security firms are in custody, according to informed lawyers for the defendants outside the Criminal Court Center (TCIC).

In addition to these 13 defendants who are in custody, a former PSP agent was released, but was banned from contact with elements of SPDE company responsible for security at Dragon Stadium in Porto, and the use of weapons. According to Attorney General’s Office, in Operation Phoenix , in charge of the Central Research Department and Prosecution (DCIAP), those arrested are suspected of criminal association, illegal exercise of private security activity in prohibited weapon detention, aggravated extortion, coercion and serious assualt.

In addition to those arrested on Thursday, searches were conducted in several areas of the country, including Lisbon, Porto, Amarante, Lamego, Braga, Vila Real, Lousada.  Facilities at FC Porto and the residence of the vice-president of Antero Henrique club were searched because of its links with a security company that provides services in FC Porto.

In a statement, the PSP also indicated that 40 weapons, about 121 thousand euros, 10 vehicles and ammunition of various calibres, as well as documentation has been seized.

Since the beginning of the year some 153 000 migrants were detected at Europe’s external borders. This represents a 149% increase when compared to the same pe­riod in 2014 when 61 500 migrants entered Europe.

In May the total number of detections rose by 26% in relation to April and reached 50 500. Considering seasonal trends, it is expected that the migratory pressure will continue to increase during the summer period on all routes.

Compared to April, the largest increase was reported on the Western Balkan route (the Hungarian land border with Serbia) where in May the number of apprehended migrants exceeded 10 000. In the period between 1 January and 31 May 2015, over 50 000 migrants were detected on this route which constitutes an 880% increase com­pared to the same period in 2014.

The land route towards Hungary constitutes the main transit route for migrants who entered the EU from Greece and Bulgaria. This route is considered safer than other routes by migrants from Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries and the fares charged by people smugglers are lower.

Overall, in May, some 19 000 migrants used the Eastern Mediterranean route – a 32% increase since April. Since the beginning of the year, detections on the Eastern Mediterranean route have exceeded 48 000, which is almost five and a half times more than last year. This large increase, mostly due to the rise in the number of Syrian and Afghan migrants poses a significant challenge to the reception capacity in the Greek Aegean Islands.

The migratory situation in Central Mediterranean remains difficult. In May the numbers of detected migrants exceeded 20 500 – the highest monthly level this year and a 29% increase compared to April. In the period between 1 January to 31 May 2015, there were over 47 000 arrivals in Italy, a moderate increase (+14%) compared to the same period in 2014.

Most migrants arriving in Italy this year depart from Libya (over 42 000), but also to a much smaller extent from Egypt (1 740), Turkey (770), Greece (719) and Tunisia (256).

Compared to the first four months of 2014, detections in the Western Mediterranean have increased both on its land and sea borders: with 108% increase at Spain’s land borders between Morocco and Ceuta and Melilla (over 3 200) was reported at the sea route between Morocco and Algeria towards the Spanish Levante coast. The increasing trend is believed to be related to the summer season.

By judgment of the Court of Almada a national citizen has been sentenced to one year imprisonment for slanderous denunciation and defamation.

The person concerned is already serving a sentence of five years and six months for aggravated fraud and falsification of documents following an investigation of the Foreigners and Borders Service. (SEF)

This judgment comes in the wake of a complaint made by the Foreigners and Borders Service, who was the victim of the defamation and slander.

The conviction was made on the 11th of June

The pilot tests of the European Project ‘Smart Borders’ ended 4th June at Lisbon’s Airport.Portugal was the first Country of Europe who tested an innovative program for entry and departures of Schengen Area.

The Immigration and Borders Service, who manages the Smart Borders Project at national level in cooperation with the eu-LISA agency, will received at Lisbon’s Airport the visit of representatives from thirteen Member States, including Latvia (as EU presidency), European Commission, eu-LISA Agency and General Secretariat of the Council, with the purpose of collecting information regarding the results of the Smart Borders Project.

The tests conducted at the Lisbon’s air border ended on this date, yet they will start in other Member States’ borders, hence this is a moment of share of knowledge, challenges and final results, given that Portugal was the starting point – on March 15 – of the entire European project.

This project aims at finding the best human and technological solutions for the implementation of a system for controlling the borders’ entries and exits, in Europe, of Third-country citizens, named Entry Exit System (EES). Apart from this, the European Union also wishes to test the viability of the project Registered Traveller Programme (RTP) which will allow border crossing through electronic borders to Third-country nationals, duly registered as frequent flyers.

Electronic borders (Automated Border Control (ABC) eGates) were up to this date only used by European citizens over 18-years old. During the testing period, Third-country citizens, in a set of 20 countries, were able to promote the use of their electronic passport and use these devices to exit from the country.

With SEF’s management and the support of ANA/VINCI and Vision-Box®, Portugal conducted at Lisbon’s Airport, three types of tests, not simultaneous, where in addition to the use of electronic borders to exit the country were also tested, at the international arrivals area, the possibility of collection of biometric identifiers (iris, facial image and fingerprints) by using specific kiosks.

We now face ever-changing realities and one of the purposes of this project will be the examination of numbers and facts collected from the several experiences as regards the passenger point of view – foreign citizen, and also the Border Officer point of view, who has the duty to harmonise the need for a swift border control with both national and EU security.

Therefore, Portugal was a pioneer in the implementation of the Smart Borders Project and, as such, will provide a decisive contribution to final conclusions that will be presented to the European institution