Authorities in Évora have detained several individuals under suspicion of receiving and transferring funds from bank robberies to disguise the illicit origins of the money, as announced by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Évora.
The funds were reportedly transferred through payment and exchange agencies and subsequently sent to foreign accounts.
“These amounts were then handled by the defendants, who were aware of their illicit origins, through transfers at payment and exchange agencies to avoid detection and triggering alerts by financial and banking entities, ultimately transferring the money to foreign accounts to conceal its source,” the statement read.
The defendants appeared before the Judicial Court of Criminal Instruction in Santarém, with four being subjected to measures requiring periodic reporting to the local police station and a ban on leaving the country.
A fifth defendant has been placed under identity and residence conditions.
The investigation is ongoing, directed by the 2nd Section of the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) of Santarém, with assistance from the Judiciary Police.
