Operation Sapatada: PJ detains 43-year-old man and constitutes 25 suspects in Vale de Judeus escape
The PJ detained a 43-year-old suspect and carried out seven house searches in connection with the escape of five inmates from Vale de Judeus prison in September 2024.
PJ advances with detention and 25 suspects in investigation into Vale de Judeus prison break
The Criminal Police detained on Tuesday, 16 June, a 43-year-old Portuguese national in connection with the investigation into the escape of five inmates from Vale de Judeus Prison, which occurred on 7 September 2024. According to dn.pt, strong evidence points to the detainee's involvement in the crimes of prisoner escape assistance and possession of a prohibited weapon.
According to SIC, the suspect was caught in the act of possessing a prohibited weapon.
The operation, named "Sapatada" and launched by the PJ's Central Organised Crime Combat Section, involved the execution of seven house searches and resulted in the constitution of 25 suspects. Approximately 70 investigators participated in the proceedings, predominantly assigned to the National Counterterrorism Unit, with support from the Northern, Central and Southern Directorates, the Criminal Investigation Department of Vila Real and the Weapons and Security Unit.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, the PJ specified that "the operation aimed to identify those involved, consolidate evidence already gathered and collect new evidence related to the escape and prisoner escape assistance at Vale de Judeus Prison on 7 September 2024, a situation that involved inmates who were subsequently recaptured between 6 October 2024 and 6 February 2025".
During the searches, materials of significant evidential value were seized: two light vehicles, two Kalashnikov-type automatic firearms, ammunition of various calibres, electronic equipment capable of interfering with radio communications and GPS signals, two radios with military characteristics, two tactical helmets, a ballistic vest, a press for reloading ammunition and approximately 32,500 euros in cash, among other objects and documents.
One of the search targets was the wife of Fábio Loureiro, the Portuguese inmate who remained at large until being captured in Morocco. The fugitive's partner is suspected of complicity in the crime of prisoner escape assistance, that is, aiding an escape.
The detainee will be brought before the competent judicial authority on Wednesday for initial judicial questioning and possible application of precautionary measures.
The Vale de Judeus escape in Alcoentre (Azambuja) involved five inmates: Argentine Rodolfo Lohrmann, British Mark Roscaleer, Georgian Shergili Farjiani and Portuguese nationals Fábio Loureiro and Fernando Ribeiro Ferreira. The five were serving sentences of between seven and 25 years imprisonment for crimes including drug trafficking, criminal association, robbery, kidnapping and money laundering, amongst others. All have since been recaptured by the authorities.
Source: Google News PT