As reported by an official source from the Criminal Investigation Division of the PSP, four people have been indicted so far, with more expected in the coming days, following raids conducted on Tuesday in Lisbon, Loures, Sintra, Amadora (Lisbon District), and Odemira (Beja District).
The operation was part of an investigation into assaults that occurred on Rua do Benformoso in the capital on January 12. Several bladed weapons and items relevant to the ongoing investigation were seized.
The PSP source highlighted that, in addition to bladed weapons of unspecified quantity and type, authorities confiscated “a lot of documentation and phones that now need to be analyzed.” The investigation, still under judicial secrecy, is coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In a statement issued Tuesday morning, the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP disclosed ongoing searches in both domiciliary and non-domiciliary locations across five municipalities as part of an inquiry into crimes involving illegal weapon possession and physical assault.
The operation’s objective includes the recovery and seizure of weapons used in the illegal acts, as well as any other undefined instruments that could be employed as weapons, stated the PSP in the note, without specifying details about the aggressions.
The initiative also aimed to “remove illegal weapons from public spaces, thus promoting a safer and more peaceful environment for all residents and users of urban areas,” it added.
Seven foreign nationals were injured on January 12 following a disturbance on Rua do Benformoso.
A police source stated at the time that around 2:30 PM, four individuals “showing signs of having been assaulted” approached the PSP station on Rua da Palma to “seek assistance.”
The PSP source explained that officers went to the incident site where they found three more injured people, two of whom had knife wounds and were taken to São José Hospital.
According to the security force, “there was significant violence” involving “broken teeth, stabbings in the leg and abdomen, cuts on the head,” caused by a knife and “metal objects.”
The source then stated that the PSP continued investigations to ascertain the origin of the conflicts, with the motive still unknown, and confirmed no arrests had been made.
The PSP plans to “thoroughly investigate” to “try to identify the assailants” and bring the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the source said. To this end, police interviewed the victims and analyzed other evidence, including video footage and witness statements.
