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At a press briefing at 20.00 hrs Commander Vaz Pinto said that one of the fronts “is dominated”, now leading to “extinction and consolidation actions”.

As for the second front, the “very strong atmospheric instability” that was felt in the middle of the afternoon presented difficulties at one place, which is almost inaccessible even for airplanes and helicopters.

As a precautionary measure, and in order to avoid ‘alarmist situations’, the operational command has decided to withdraw more small settlements that may be in the way of fire, but only’ to safeguard the populations’, ‘long before the fire there. ”

During the night there will be some “windows of opportunity”, which may help the firefighters, now that the day ends, air supplies are withdrawn.” We will re-evaluate the situation at every moment.

At present, the fire is being fought by 684 operational, supported by 176 vehicles, in particular track machines. The helicopters and airplanes that have helped all day have already retired.

Meanwhile the ANPC announced the use of an Air Force C-295 aircraft tonight to be used for reconnaissance. This is to meet the current operational situation, namely the rural fires that burn in the districts of Faro, Santarém, Portalegre and Nisa, and could extend to other risk areas of the continental territory.

The C-295 has imaging equipment that allows rapid detection of any new occurrences, as well as monitoring and the behaviour of rural fires, and is therefore an important means of supporting operational decision making. Aboard the C-295 will be two ANPC operatives

130 military personnel from the Armed Forces and the Navy have been mobilized to support the fight against the fire.

This comprises six platoons (five army platoons and one navy platoon), and two army engineering detachments with a platform and two caterpillar tractors, with a total of 130 military personnel committed.

Of these, 111 are from the Army and 19 from the Navy, with 10 light vehicles and 18 medium vehicles.

As at 16.30 hrs there were 724 firefighters, 193 support vehicles and 10 aircraft deployed.

 

Earlier SITREP 4th August 1300 hrs

At a briefing held at 1200 hrs Víctor Vaz Pinto, Commander of the Faro District Relief Operations Command, ANPC gave the following overview:

• The fire was in an area with difficult access ‘.
• The fire continues to have two active fronts with a worsening of weather conditions, from early afternoon; an increase in the intensity of the wind is expected, “sometimes with strong gusts”, and the temperature will reach 46 C with 10% humidity.
• We are implementing our plan” although there is still no forecast “when the fire will be dominated”.
• One of the two active fronts, which corresponds to 50% of the perimeter of the fire, is ‘controlled’ and ‘is in consolidation phase’.
• The other front, 20% of it “is in an inaccessible zone and is being fought by air means with the help of track machines” to open roads to the land.
• There are 710 operational personnel, supported by 180 vehicles and 11 air assets: two heavy bombers, three medium bombers, one heavy bomber helicopter, four light bombers and a reconnaissance plane deployed.
• As for the eight operatives who were injured yesterday, they are “recovered,”
• For now there is “no population in danger”. The commander confirmed that “some buildings were affected” by the flames but not a house, as it was reported. “Our great concern is the safety of the population and the combatants,” he said.
• The area affected by the fire is already 1000 hectares

Statement of the Alert Situation

Given the weather forecast for the next few days, which point to a significant worsening of the risk of forest fires, the Government, through the Minister of Internal Affairs signed Wednesday, the Order that determines the Statement of Alert Situation for the period from the 2nd to the 6th of August, for the whole continental territory.

Within the scope of the Declaration of the Alert Situation, provided for in the Law of Civil Protection, the following exceptional measures will be implemented:

• Increased operational readiness and responsiveness on the part of the GNR and the PSP, with enhanced resources for surveillance, behaviour-deterrent patrolling and general support for protection and rescue operations that may be needed, considering for the authorized effect the interruption of vacation leave and / or suspension of breaks and rest periods;
• Increased readiness and mobilization of teams of emergency medical, public health and psychosocial support, by the competent entities of the health and social security areas;
• Continuous mobilization of the Sapper Forest teams;
• Continuous mobilization of the National Corps of Forestry Agents and Nature Watchers that are part of the fire prevention and control system;
• Increase the level of readiness of response teams of entities with special duty of cooperation in the areas of communications (fixed and mobile network operators) and energy (transportation and distribution);
• Prohibition of access, movement and permanence within the forest areas, previously defined in the Municipal Fire Protection Plans (PMDFCI), as well as in the forest paths, rural roads and other routes that cross them;
• Total prohibition of the use of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices, regardless of their form of combustion, as well as the suspension of authorizations that may have been issued, as long as the Alert Status is in force;
• Exemption from the public service of Public Administration workers who cumulatively perform the functions of voluntary firefighter;
• Exemption of private sector workers who cumulatively perform the functions of voluntary firefighter in the districts for which the Red Level Special Alert State has been declared by the ANPC;
• Recourse to the resources available under the National Plan and the District Civil Emergency Emergency Plans.

The Government is constantly monitoring the evolution of the operational situation and appeals to the citizens to adapt their behaviour to the meteorological framework that has been widely disseminated.

The Judicial Police, through the Northern Board of Directors, identified and detained a man and a woman for the alleged falsification of documents and computer equipment, which occurred late yesterday afternoon at a hotel in the city of Porto.

The suspect couple attempted to make a payment for staying at the hotel using fraudulent credit card data in the name of a foreign citizen.

Following the steps taken by police, suspected false passports, as well as bank and tax documentation obtained with those documents, were seized from the suspects. Allegedly used for the commission of new offenses.

The true identity of the detainees is still to be established which will be fully clarified through international police cooperation.

The detainees, aged 20 and 47, will be present at the first judicial interrogation to decide appropriate pre-trial measures.

The Judicial Police, through the National Counterterrorism Unit (UNCT), detained a 42-year-old foreign man as part of an investigation for aggravated kidnapping and coercion, involving highly violent, organized and transnational criminality.

The arrest took place following a request for urgent cooperation from the French authorities stating that a citizen of that country was abducted and coerced by another individual inside a sailboat on the high seas.

In order to carry out the rescue operation of the victim, 28 years of age, the Judicial Police had the close collaboration of the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, as well as the Maritime Police in the location of the sailboat in question and with the first two in the respective approach.

The combined action of these entities, under the coordination of the National Unit Against Terrorism of the Judicial Police, was able to stop the kidnapping and ongoing coercion, rescuing the victim.

The UNCT also searched the vessel and seized a large amount of money and other relevant items.

The criminal investigation will continue in order to know the extent of the criminal actions in question.

The detainee was present at the first judicial interrogation at the criminal investigation court in Lisbon last Sunday, July 29, 2018, and in view of the seriousness of the crimes in question he was charged with, he was remanded in custody.

 

On 30th July 2018 the Judicial Police, and the National Republican Guard, mainly through the command of Castelo Branco, developed a joint operation called “Full Moon”, which resulted in the identification and arrest of 23 persons, most of them foreign nationals foreigners, for the alleged drug trafficking.

The arrests took place inside the grounds of the BOOM Festival in Idanha-a-Nova, in the context of combating trafficking, among others, the so-called synthetic drugs or design drugs, usually consumed at this type of event.

This operation, developed in close coordination with the services of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Castelo Branco and with the operational collaboration of several units, namely teams of Criminal Investigation and the Detachment of Intervention of the GNR and also with the presence in the field of a team of the Laboratory of Scientific Police of the Judiciary Police, was the culmination of an investigation begun three months ago, in order to signal and neutralize the action of individuals who travel to our country, with the sole purpose of marketing prohibited substances.

In addition to these arrests, 900 individual doses of liamba, 1800 hashish, 3650 MDMA, 75 cocaine, 1100 amphetamines have been seized in total, among other articles and drugs as yet unidentified.  Also seized were 1216 ecstasy tablets, 801 LSD microsamines, 26 liquid LSD bottles, 40 LSD-impregnated gums, 216 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, 492 grams of DMT-impregnated plant substances, 130 grams Ketamine, 77 grams of opium, 47 mescaline micropoints, 11 precision balances, various computer, sound and image equipment and about 91,000 Euros in cash.

Those detained, aged between 22 and 48 years, were present at the first judicial interrogation, 4 of which were subject to pre-trial detention and 1 forbidden to re-enter the premises of the BOOM Festival.

The remaining 18 are still awaiting the decision on pre-trial conditions.

ON HOLIDAY IN PORTUGAL?

PLANNING YOUR ACTIVITIES?

PLEASE DO SO IN SAFETY, BY REFERRING TO THIS GOVERNMENT BULLETIN ISSUED 31 July 2018. PLEASE HELP BY SHARING.

From August 1, there will be a significant increase in temperature and relative decrease in humidity in mainland Portugal. For August 2 and 3, maximum temperatures of 35ºC are expected in most of the territory, with levels above 40ºC in ALENTEJO, Vale do Tejo and Beira Baixa, and temperatures reaching of 45ºC in some places.

The minimum temperatures will also rise, providing for “tropical nights” with temperatures above 20ºC, and may even exceed 25ºC in some places, particularly on the night of 2 to 3 August. The relative humidity will remain very low during the day, showing a very weak recovery from the night of 1 to August 2. Conditions for the occurrence of atmospheric instability therefore exist, which are more likely to occur from the afternoon of 2 August. This weather situation, of very hot and dry weather, should persist until at least August 5.

These conditions constitutes the occurrence of very high fire risk indices in the ALGARVE region and in the North and Centre interior and high / very high in the lower ALENTEJO, with worsening situation predicted in the next 48 hours for the ALGARVE leeward, of the number of municipalities with maximum risk.

On Sunday (5 August) it is expected that these indices will increase in the North and Central regions,

The ANPC have published an advisory bulletin concerning rising temperature and the increasing risk of fires in the next few days, which we have translated in to English and can be accessed at the bottom of this post.

With a special reference to TOURIST ACTIVITIES (in consultation with central Government today) we wish to emphasize the following safety precautions that people should take especially those staying in rural accommodation, camping and taking part in hiking, and off-road leisure/sporting activities, namely:

1. No smoking in wooded areas or pathways that surround them.
   2. No lighting of fires or BBQ’s except in designated places.
   3. No use of fireworks of lighted flares/balloons.
   4. Avoid the discarding of any material especially glass bottles, that could cause a fire.

People taking part in such activities or staying in rural areas, protect yourself against the sun (especially at mid-day as UV levels will be very high up to 10; carry and drink plenty of water and pay particular attention to the elderly and children.
IN CASE OF ANY FIRE CALL 112 IMMEDIATELY

The full bulletin and safety advice can be downloaded in English here

https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/current-anpc-weathe…/

Monitor the daily fire risk in English here
http://www.ipma.pt/en/ambiente/risco.incendio/index.jsp

 

On 22^nd July the Metropolitan Command of Lisbon of the PSP, through the Police Division of Oeiras, in the town of Carnaxide, municipality of Oeiras, arrested a 42-year-old man for the crime of a qualified homicide in the way tried.

The suspect had met during the afternoon and evening with the victim. At one point he left the scene and returned about five minutes later, carrying a stone, which he threw violently against the victim’s head, and the fled to his home.

The suspect then returned with a knife in his hand, ran towards the victim and stabbed him in the abdomen at the same time. time that shouted “I’ll kill you …”.

He was then apprehended by several witnesses, thus preventing further attack.

PSP attended the scene and arrested the assailant.

The victim was transported to the Hospital Lisboa-Oeste Hospital – São Francisco Xavier Hospital, in Lisbon, where she underwent emergency surgery, and is presently with a reserved prognosis.

The detainee was taken to Police Division of Oeiras and has appeared at the 1st Judicial Interrogation, with the District of Lisbon West, and has been remanded ib custody.

 

 

The Maritime Police advises all bathers to “watch for thefts”, always protecting their property with some basic measures, which can avoid problems at beaches.

Here are the advice of the Maritime Police:

> Avoid carrying valuables to the beach, taking only the essentials for bathing;

> When going to the sea, always leave someone to look after the goods, be it a family member or friend. In case you do not have anyone who does, always leave the goods in line of sight;

> Always try use permanently guarded beaches, not an isolated area away from other bathers, because the presence of other people may inhibit attempted thefts;

> When parking your car, avoid leaving belongings in sight

> In case of presumed theft, it is important that you remain calm, confirm that it was actually stolen and that the goods have disappeared.

> If confirmed a theft, contact the Maritime Police with jurisdiction on the beach where you are, through the contacts available in the Portal of the National Maritime Authority, which you can see clicking here .

The Judiciary Police detained three more members of the Hells Angels motorcycle group, increasing to 59 the number of detainees, who begin this Thursday to be heard in the Court of Criminal Investigation of Lisbon.

Official source of the PJ told Lusa that 58 elements were detained in Portugal and one in Germany , through a European arrest warrant.

On Wednesday, at a press conference, the coordinator of the National Unit to Combat Terrorism Manuela Santos said that the police action had been scheduled for some time and that the detainees were indicted for attempted murder, robbery, physical offences and criminal association.

The police coordinator believes that many elements will be held in pre-trial detention, given the seriousness of the crimes for which they are indicted.

Four of the 59 Hells Angels were detained in possession of a firearm.

The Hells Angels group has been in Portugal since 2002 and has since been monitored by the police.

Violent acts that took place in March in Prior Velho, Loures, involved two rival groups of motorcycles, Hells Angels and Red and Gold, and which caused six injuries, of which three were the first violent manifestation of the organization that led PJ to act.

The police operation to dismantle the group also took into account the holding, from 19 to 22 July, of the Motards meeting in Faro, where there could again clashes between the two groups.

The detainees begin to be heard this afternoon by an investigating judge for the enforcement of the coercion measure.