Eleven people were arrested for robbery and theft of elderly people following an operation carried out in the municipalities of Portimão, Lagoa, Olhão and Montijo.
The arrests were made as part of an inquiry led by the Public Prosecutor's Office and are the result of an investigation that had lasted for eight months, in which different Criminal Investigation Nucleus (NIC) of the Territorial Command of Faro of the GNR.
On Wednesday, the GNR military carried out 10 house search warrants, which allowed them to capture 11 people, aged between 20 and 41, in addition to having constituted defendants and five suspects.
The group that was dismantled «extended its action to the whole Algarve and chose the most vulnerable victims, namely the elderly who lived in more isolated places». To carry out the robberies, they pretended to be selling items they had stolen from commercial establishments, "or simply asked for water." Then, they took advantage of the victims' weakness to carry out the thefts, "adopting a violent attitude when the victims showed some resistance."
In addition to detaining the 11 suspects, the GNR seized many weapons, namely "two 12mm shotguns, three .22 caliber revolvers, a 7,65mm pistol and three firearm replicas", to which drugs and other material, namely 110 doses of hashish, electronic material, tools, perfumery articles, cosmetic articles and clothing.
The action unleashed by the GNR was attended by military personnel from the Territorial Command of Faro, Territorial Command of Setúbal, Intervention Unit of the Republican National Guard and members of the PSP District Command of Faro.
The defendants, mostly with a criminal record and convictions for robbery, theft and fraud, will be presented at the Court, Central Instance of Faro, for the application of coercive measures deemed convenient.
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