Remand in custody for three detainees in Rabo de Peixe following anti-drugs operation
Three of eight suspects arrested in Rabo de Peixe were remanded in custody following a PSP operation that culminated in attacks on police vehicles.
Three suspects remanded in custody following anti-drugs operation in Rabo de Peixe
The Regional Command of the PSP in the Azores confirmed that three of eight detainees in the police operation carried out in Rabo de Peixe were remanded in custody, the most serious coercive measure provided for in law. According to Google News PT, the remaining five suspects underwent non-judicial interrogation.
The detainees, aged between 18 and 36, were brought before the competent judicial authority on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Seizures and search warrants executed
During the operation, the PSP executed nine search warrants — one residential and eight non-residential. Seized were 2,022 doses of cocaine, 5,355 doses of hashish and 28 doses of cannabis, as well as €18,490.95 in cash.
The action was carried out by the Criminal Investigation structure and Rapid Intervention Teams of the Ponta Delgada Police Division, with support from the Canine Operational Team of the Detached Force of the Special Police Unit. The Regional Command of the Azores stated that the operation reinforces "the commitment and objective of combating drug trafficking" and all associated crime, "maintaining order, tranquillity and public security".
The investigation into the inquiry will continue under the responsibility of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Rabo de Peixe Police Station.
Residents attack PSP vehicles
On Thursday, when the police contingent was leaving the site following the operation, the vehicles were attacked with stones and wooden bars thrown by residents. To stop the projectiles, officers fired six warning shots into the air.
The PSP clarified that the projectiles did not strike any of the officers present, nor any other person at the scene. Efforts to identify all those responsible for the acts committed against officers continue, "with a view to the complete identification of all perpetrators of the criminal offences now committed and their consequent criminal liability", the police source stated.
Widespread condemnation of the attack
The incident prompted reactions from various entities. The Ministry of Internal Administration condemned the attack on PSP vehicles during the operation, characterising the residents' behaviour as unacceptable. Also the Trade Union Association of Police Professionals, local government officials and Azorean political leaders spoke out against the incident recorded in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.
Source: Google News PT