Court orders preventive detention for woman arrested with drugs in Elvas
A 51-year-old defendant was remanded in custody after being caught with cocaine and heroin purchased in Spain, violating previous court orders.
Court orders preventive detention for woman arrested with drugs in Elvas
The court in Portalegre determined that a 51-year-old defendant should remain imprisoned pending trial. The woman was apprehended in Elvas whilst transporting prohibited substances acquired from the Spanish side, in Badajoz.
At the time of arrest, the suspect was in possession of 5.64 grammes of cocaine in crack form, equivalent to more than 28 individual doses for consumption, and 1.25 grammes of heroin, corresponding to approximately 12 doses. The operation included searches of the woman's home, where investigators found utensils for manipulating and packaging drugs, as well as proof of a 300-euro deposit into a bank account with a balance of around 2,000 euros. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, these amounts are inconsistent with the defendant's official income, who subsists on Social Insertion Income.
This situation has repeated itself. In November of last year, the same person had already been heard in court for identical facts. On that occasion, the court opted not to aggravate the measures, maintaining the classification of minor trafficking and imposing only obligations such as fortnightly check-ins at the police station, prohibition on contacting other defendants or drug users, ban on frequenting places linked to drug trafficking, and restriction on leaving the municipality.
The Public Prosecutor's Office disagreed and appealed, with the Appeals Court upholding its position. The defendant, however, appealed to a higher instance, leaving the decision pending.
In light of the new arrest, the Public Prosecutor's Office argued that the woman persisted in the criminal activity and disregarded court orders. The prosecutors again demanded preventive detention, a request now granted by the court, although maintaining the classification of minor-gravity trafficking.
Source: Correio da Manhã
Source: Correio da Manhã