Judicial Police detain son of Vale de Judeus escapee in operation with 25 defendants
The Judicial Police carried out house searches and detained a 43-year-old man, the son of one of five prisoners who escaped from Vale de Judeus prison in September 2024.
Operation 'Sapatada' results in detention and 25 new defendants in investigation into Vale de Judeus escape
The Judicial Police detained a 43-year-old man during house searches carried out on Tuesday as part of the inquiry into the escape of five prisoners from Vale de Judeus prison in September 2024. According to Correio da Manhã, the detainee is the son of Fernando Ferreira, one of the five escapees who has since been recaptured.
The operation, named 'Sapatada', was conducted by the Judicial Police's National Counter-Terrorism Unit (UNCT) with the support of other departments of the same criminal police body, involving a total of 70 inspectors. The UNCT investigators had requested arrest warrants from the DCIAP of the Public Prosecution Service but obtained only search warrants, with the objective of "identifying those involved, consolidating evidence, and gathering new pieces of evidence linked to the escape and prison break from Vale de Judeus prison". The detention occurred in the course of these proceedings.
The sole detainee is suspected of the crime of aiding escape — assisting prisoners to escape — and was also found in possession of an illegal firearm. He is to be brought before a judge for questioning on Wednesday.
Following the seven house searches carried out, 25 new defendants were constituted. Among them is the wife of Fábio Loureiro, known as 'Fábio Cigano', also charged with the crime of aiding escape of prisoners. Correio da Manhã established that the majority of the people now charged have a connection to Fábio Loureiro.
In total, the inspectors seized two vehicles, two Kalashnikov-type machine gun rifles, ammunition of various calibres, electronic equipment for interfering with radio communications, two radio communicators with military characteristics, two tactical helmets, a ballistic vest and a press for reloading ammunition. They also seized €32,500 in cash and documentation considered essential to the inquiry. The authorities also intercepted mobile communications and GPS signals.
The investigation continues, with the Judicial Police seeking to establish the link between the material seized and the execution of the plan to extract the prisoners. On the day of the escape, Vale de Judeus's video surveillance system recorded the presence of heavily armed men assisting the five escapees.
Source: Correio da Manhã