Operation Communis Maris: PJ arrests 11 people in Portugal, 262 suspects internationally
The PJ arrested 11 people in Portugal as part of an international Interpol operation against human trafficking and illegal immigration networks, with 262 arrests in total.
PJ arrests 11 in Portugal in international operation against human trafficking
The "Communis Maris" operation, coordinated by Interpol and dedicated to combating human trafficking and networks assisting illegal immigration, resulted in 262 arrests in 16 countries. In Portugal, the Judicial Police arrested 11 people — eight for drug trafficking by sea, namely in logistical support functions, and three for document falsification, according to dn.pt on the basis of a PJ statement released on Wednesday, 11 November.
Carried out between 5 and 8 October, the operation focused on routes in the Mediterranean and Western Atlantic, used by criminal networks for the clandestine transport of migrants and trafficking victims.
In the national territory, the PJ worked in conjunction with the PSP and the GNR, which ensured control of air, land and sea borders, as well as monitoring the stay of foreigners in Portugal. A total of 383 operational officers from the three forces were involved, supported by three prosecutors.
In addition to the 11 arrests, the results in Portugal included 4,827 people checked, monitoring of 275 flights and 201,294 queries to Interpol databases.
Internationally, of the 262 suspects arrested, 221 are answerable for migrant smuggling crimes, 16 for human trafficking and 25 for other crimes, including production and use of forged documents, according to Interpol. A further 41 organised crime groups were identified, 434 new investigations opened, 109 potential trafficking victims flagged and 1,715 migrants detected. Overall, more than 378,000 people were subjected to checks.
The operation received support from Europol, Frontex, AFRIPOL, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)