The Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) has complied with a search warrant for the home of a lawyer in the Lisbon area, who is suspected of being exclusively involved in making unfounded applications for asylum, with large financial rewards from foreign citizens, who had been refused entrance into national territory. The investigation of the SEF, denominated “Operation Lingala”, lasted more than a year.
The lawyer was constituted defendant and was notified to appear in court. There are also strong indications of her involvement in a cell in Dakar, Senegal, which allegedly indicated the suspicion that foreign nationals came to Portugal and could subsequently initiate asylum applications.
After the detention of the foreign citizens in the Equipped Space to the Temporary Installation Center (EECIT) at the Lisbon Airport, to which the entry was refused, the lawyer immediately arrived where she requested the consultation of the respective processes, as well as the contact with the passengers (mostly nationals of African countries whose flights originated in Dakar, Luanda and Casablanca) without being asked to attend.
Then, in order to prevent them from being removed to their country of origin, the lawyer submitted an asylum application on behalf of the foreign citizen, as well as a power of attorney appointing her as an agent.
This abuse of the international protection mechanism through asylum applications, which were mostly unfounded, had the sole purpose of preventing intercepted passengers from returning to their country of origin, a move which gave the suspicion a high financial contribution.
During the searches made to her apartment, which also functioned as an office, computer and communication equipment used by the suspects, schedules, notebooks with indication of amounts collected, as well as proof of transfers / receipts of monetary amounts via financial agencies or banks were seized.
- Weekly Crime Report ending 3rd July 2020
- Covid-19: EU reopens borders to 15 countries, USA and Brazil still excluded
- Portugal and Spain signal reopening of border on Wednesday
- PRIME MINISTER UNVEILS NEW MEASURES FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
- President speaks after the meeting with experts to assess the epidemiological situation of covid-19 in Portugal, at Infarmed.
- 2019 crime reports shows slight increases in violent and overall crime compared to 2018
- RURAL FIRE NEAR VILARINHA, BORDEIRA, ALJEZUR
- Weekly crime prevention and enforcement report 19th June
- Government today approved a one-month extension of the simplified lay-off, until the end of July,
- Marking three years since the Pedrógão Grande fire that caused 66 deaths
- Two of the people infected with covid-19 following an illegal party in Lagos are hospitalised
- Ban on Flights to and from outside of EU extended to last day of June
- Strike at CTT starts at midnight at central post offices
- Weekly Crime Prevention and Enforcement Report 11th June 2020
