The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) arrested five individuals on Wednesday, suspected of involvement in the crimes of aggravated kidnapping, bodily harm, and possession of prohibited weapons, related to a drug trafficking incident on July 5.
According to a PJ statement, a 28-year-old man was forcibly chained by his attackers inside a house located in a Braga neighborhood, where he was subjected to assaults and torture using a hammer and a blowtorch.
The suspects believed that the victim might possess a significant amount of narcotics, the statement added.
The victim was held for several hours, during which he was physically assaulted and coerced into claiming he kept the alleged substances at his residence as a means of escape.
The attackers then transported the chained victim in a vehicle to his home. Once there, he was unchained and managed to find refuge, after which the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) was alerted and identified the suspect.
The PJ was able to gather substantial evidence and identify a fifth suspect as a co-perpetrator in the crimes.
Yesterday, searches were conducted in Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Barcelos, and Braga, resulting in the seizure of firearms and the location of the suspects under arrest warrants issued by the DIAP of Guimarães.
The five detainees, aged between 22 and 64 and with various criminal records for serious offenses, will appear before the DIAP of Guimarães for judicial questioning and the imposition of preventive measures.
