The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 2nd August 2023
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all for this the first report of August. The holiday season is in full swing across the Algarve and this month sees a variety of events happening in many towns throughout the Algarve. With the influx of tourists this will inevitably bring with it a lot of things we don’t like to see, from a safety and security point of view. In many towns across the Algarve we have an increased police presence for the summer in order to counteract the criminal element and we have already seen a large number of drug related arrests. With the increase in tourists inevitably we are seeing more road traffic accidents occurring on our roads.
In addition, we are also seeing more incidents of injury on the beaches and in the ocean. Please remember that whilst it may seem calm there is always the underlying issue of rip currents which can have a devastating effect if people are not aware of this issue. Also the temperature of the Ocean is a lot cooler than many people expect so this can also have an effect on a person swimming too long in the Ocean.
Now let’s look at some of the stories that have happened in the region in the past week.
PSP Arrests Man for Drug Trafficking
The Faro District Command of the PSP detained a 33-year-old man for drug trafficking in Lagos , reported that security force.
“Following several complaints of suspicious movements, related to drug trafficking in some areas of the city, police from the Lagos Police Station of the PSP, in recent days, have intensified surveillance in these places, making it possible to collect evidence of the sale of liamba. and hashish to several consumers in the city by the detainee, in the form of direct sale, proceeding with his arrest in flagrante delicto”, can be read in a statement.
Following the subsequent investigation steps, “598 doses of marijuana, 86 doses of hashish, 10 doses of cocaine, 60 electric cannabis vaporizers, 16,250 euros, a mobile phone, as well as a cannabis production greenhouse, an electric gun, were seized. a firearm replica, a moped vehicle and several other objects related to drug trafficking”, lists the PSP.
The detainee will be presented to the Judiciary Authority in order for the coercive measures to be decreed.
Man On The Run for 13 years Arrested in Olhao
A 44-year-old man was arrested this Thursday, July 27, in the municipality of Olhão , to serve five years and eight months in prison for various crimes of aggravated theft, announced the National Republican Guard.
The crimes took place in residences in 2010 in the municipalities of Olhão and Tavira, with the suspect having been unknown for several years. The military, after a European arrest warrant, located the suspect in the city of Olhão, who was handed over to the local Prison.
PSP Arrests Three in Olhão for Drug Trafficking
The PSP detained a man and two women on Sunday, July 30, suspected of drug trafficking in Olhão, the Faro District Command of the PSP reported today .
“As part of an investigation into drug trafficking, in a specific area of the city of Olhão, three search and seizure warrants were issued for the targets, by the competent judicial authority”, can be read in a statement.
Thus, during the day of yesterday, the aforementioned warrants were complied with, when the three suspects were arrested and “51 doses of cocaine, about 800 euros in cash, a digital scale and other objects associated with the handling of a narcotic product were seized. ”, details the note. The criminal investigation police operation had the support of the Intervention Corps of the Highlighted Force of the District Command of Faro.
The detainees will now be presented before a judicial authority for the possible application of coercive measures.
Man Dies in Collision between Motorcycle and Light Vehicle on EN125
A man died following a collision between a motorcycle and a light vehicle that took place this Monday on National Road (EN) 125, in Boliqueime , in the municipality of Loulé, a Civil Protection source said. According to a source from the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the collision between the two vehicles “resulted in the death of the motorcycle driver, a 51-year-old man”.
The source explained that the accident occurred at 10:30 am in the area of Patã de Cima, in Boliqueime. Civil Protection mobilised 27 operators from the Loulé and Albufeira fire brigades, the National Republican Guard ( GNR ), the Portuguese Red Cross and the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) to the site.
Road traffic was interrupted for about an hour for rescue operations and road cleaning, having already been re-established, said a GNR source.
The GNR’s Traffic Accident Crimes Investigation Center launched an investigation to determine the causes of the accident.
Motorbike Accident in Cacela Causes Serious Injuries
A motorcyclist on Estrada 125 in Vila Nova de Cacela , in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António , caused a serious injury on Saturday, July 29, who had to be transported by helicopter to Faro, according to Arenilha TV.
The victim, 35 years old and of Portuguese nationality, was transported in the INEM helicopter to the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve. The accident took place around 06:45 and forced the traffic to be cut off in that area at 08:00 for the helicopter to land. There were 15 operators supported by four vehicles.
14 People Rescued from Troubled Tourist Boat
Due to problems with the propulsion system, 14 people had to be rescued from a maritime-tourist vessel south of the pier at the port of Portimão , on Monday, July 31, announced the Portuguese Navy.
The rescue was coordinated by the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center and by the Captain of the Port of Portimão, after the request for help arrived at 12:42.
The vessel flying the Portuguese flag was adrift towards the east pier of the Port of Portimão and elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police were immediately called to the spot. The 14 crew members were physically well and no medical assistance was required, while the vessel was transported to the Port of Portimão, for safety reasons, having docked at 13:38.
German Lady Rescued on Ingrina Beach after a Fall
A 35-year-old German woman was helped after a fall while practising coasteering, on Ingrina beach , in the municipality of Vila do Bispo , on Friday, July 28, announced the National Maritime Authority.
The alert was given at 18:30 by the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, which immediately sent members of the Lagos Maritime Police Local Command, crew from the Sagres Lifeguard Station, members of the “SeaWatch” project, a team from the INEM Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle and elements from the Vila do Bispo Volunteer Firefighters.
The victim, at the scene, was conscious and was stabilised by the elements of the “SeaWatch” project, with the help of the firefighters and the crew of the Lifeguard Station, who transported him to the beach, where he was assisted by INEM. The woman was later transported to a hospital unit and the Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took care of the incident.
2 People are Injured while Practising Parasailing in Vilamoura
Two young women aged 22 and 28 were seriously injured in an accident while parasailing on Vilamoura beach during the afternoon of Thursday, July 27, announced the National Maritime Authority.
The alert was given at 20:05 by the Guidance Center for Urgent Patients in Faro and elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Faro and a team from the Medical Vehicle for Emergency and Resuscitation from INEM were immediately sent to the scene.
The two victims were transported by a maritime-tourist vessel to the Vilamoura marina, in the municipality of Loulé , where they were assisted by INEM personnel and subsequently transported to a hospital unit.
Young Man with Fracture Rescued from Praia do Carvalho in Lagoa
The Ferragudo Lifeguard Station rescued, on the afternoon of Friday, the 28th, a 13-year-old young man, of German nationality, who suffered a fracture in his lower limbs following a dive from a cliff, at Praia do Carvalho, in the municipality of Lagoa.
Following an alert received at 3:30 pm, through the 112, informing “a person had fallen from a cliff”, elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Portimão , crew of the Rescue Station, a team from the INEM Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER), members of the Lagos Volunteer Firefighters and the lifeguards on duty on the beach made their way to the scene.
Upon arrival at the scene, it was found that the victim, a 13-year-old, “was conscious, having been promptly stabilised by INEM and Portimão Volunteer Firefighters”, says the National Maritime Authority (AMN) in a statement.The young man was later rescued and transported to the pier in Ferragudo, by the vessel of the Estação Salva-vidas de Ferragudo, where an INEM ambulance was waiting, which transported him to a hospital unit.
The Portimão Maritime Police Local Command took care of the occurrence.
And to end this report we would like to bring to your attention the issues surrounding beach and water safety. In the past week we have seen authorities shut down two beaches due to microbiological contamination detected in the water. When this happens the authorities will raise a red flag on the beach which means no bathing and this flag will remain until it is deemed safe enough for the beach to be reopened. The heat of the summer is in part one reason why we are seeing these instances so please be aware if you are visiting the beach or have family staying who are venturing to the beach to be aware.
With that I wish you a very happy and safe week.
This year, with the theme “From golden wheat to iron birds”, the festivities mark the arrival in Terceira, in 1943, of the Royal Air Force, who built an airstrip in Lajes.
The interruption in the supply of electricity that affected, on Sunday, several areas of the island of São Miguel, was due to an unpredictable problem in equipment on the high voltage transmission network, which was isolated, after the adoption of security measures, the power was fully restored at 21:49.
With ‘shuttle’ transport in access to Lagoa do Fogo, car circulation was limited to residents’ vehicles and prohibited to ‘rent-a-car’ cars.
The publication also highlights the number of passengers disembarking at Azores airports in June, coming from territorial flights (from mainland Portugal or Madeira) and international flights.
As demand for air travel soars, thousands of people were evacuated from Rhodes because of wildfires fanned by high winds and extreme heat. Between 7,000 and 10,000 British people were thought to be on the island as the wildfires spread, according to the Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell.
Ponta Delgada, Azores, 25 July 2023 (Lusa) – Four earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.1 and 3.4 on the Richter scale were felt on Monday in Terceira and Faial islands, the Azores Seismovolcanic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA) reported.
In 2023, the 76th World Health Assembly adopted its first ever resolution on drowning prevention. The resolution accepts the invitation of the United Nations General Assembly for WHO to coordinate actions within the UN system on drowning prevention and facilitate the observance of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July each year.
Increasingly, there is a lack of responsiveness in the operating theatres and consultations, because there are fewer people, and I don’t know where this will end. But the Government is not managing to solve the problem in this way”, he underlined. According to João Dias, the operating rooms of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA), which includes the hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos , are operating with the minimum services and all surgeries that are not considered urgent are being postponed.
As part of the World Youth Day operation and border control, five entries into national territory were refused at the Castro Marim border on Sunday, July 23, announced the National Republican Guard.
Together with the Portuguese Navy and the Air Force, they carried out a joint operation in international waters with the aim of combating drug trafficking .
“In view of the sea conditions and the lack of visibility at the site, it was not possible to locate the human bones”, says the same statement, adding that the searches were resumed on Sunday morning, culminating in the discovery of the human bones, which are presumed to be belong to the same person, along the coastline.
The alleged organized group was led by two suspects, who acted in cooperation with two other elements responsible for storing the product and a third suspect who transported the drug by sea to the island of São Jorge.
What has formed over most of southern Europe is a “heat dome” which in simple terms, the works like a lid on a pot. The extensive dome results in the trapping of a hot air mass at all levels underneath, sinking toward the ground. Air mass becomes particularly anomalous at the lowest elevations. Thus it creates very stable weather and often arid air mass with minimal chances for precipitation or even clouds—the sinking air parcels in the centre of the heat dome result in rising temperatures.
In a statement, the Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) says that the main violations detected had to do with “lack of registration, lack of hygiene conditions, the presence of pests, lack of safety conditions and protection measures, violation of personal data and capture and recording of images without proper authorization, among others”.
The agreement follows the completion of the first phase of a new infrastructure at the Vila Real de Santo António wastewater treatment plant, which enables the use of treated wastewater for irrigation at golf courses in the northern area of the municipality.
This initiative is part of the campaign “Water is life – Don’t waste it”, by Águas do Algarve and the Portuguese Environment Agency , with the objective of “raising the population’s awareness of the need to reduce water consumption in order to promote practices that encourage its use efficient in the current context of drought and water scarcity”.
Five people – four men and one woman aged between 22 and 39 – have been arrested, with two being remanded in custody and the other three being released but required to report twice a week to the local police station.
This tool also enables authorities to safely identify owners so that they can file complaints against anyone who steals carob and harvests it illegally.
“This program is completed and its presentation is scheduled. I am responsible for part of the tolls [in the former SCUT] and, therefore, very soon, I will be able to answer all the questions: What is the toll reduction rate, on which vehicles and what reduction will it affect and when this reduction will start”, said Ana Abrunhosa, stressing that it is a “reduction, never abolition”.
Given the emphasis placed globally, including Portugal, on Climate change and disaster management, we felt that a dedicated Facebook group should be formed to help those who have properties in Portugal or just visiting, by providing a “focal point” of knowledge and advice with links to various experts and qualified sources, which is easy to access, as well as opportunities for group members to share with others their own experiences.
The 17 people suspected of belonging to a drug trafficking network that operated in the region and arrested on Wednesday, the 5th, in São Brás de Alportel, were held in custody, reported the GNR.
The Judiciary Police carried out the arrest for alleged suspicions that the sub-manager “provided information of a banking nature to elements of a transnational network that has been dedicated to money laundering since, at least, the year 2019, receiving high monetary amounts in return”.