Ten soldiers from the National Republican Guard (GNR) in Portugal were assigned to work at their designated stations today. The GNR is currently awaiting potential disciplinary actions recommended by the Inspectorate-General of the Internal Administration (IGAI) to the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral.
Last week, during the Judicial Police’s (PJ) “Safra Justa” operation, 17 individuals were arrested on suspicion of exploiting immigrants in the Alentejo region. Three civilians were placed in preventive detention, while the other 14, including 10 GNR soldiers, a police officer from the Public Security Police (PSP), and three civilians, were released under terms of identity and residence (TIR).
The Lisbon District Court believes there is significant evidence of crimes related to human trafficking and aiding illegal immigration against the three detainees held in preventive detention. As for the released GNR soldiers and one PSP officer, their release was justified by the court because phone interceptions not transcribed by the Public Ministry (MP) could not be used as a basis for the coercive measures.
Out of 231 charges, approximately 89 relied solely or partially on untranscribed phone interceptions. The court clarified that facts based exclusively on untranscribed interceptions were not indictable, particularly for most allegations against the security forces.
The GNR and PSP members were found to have insufficient evidence for the charges against them and will await trial under TIR. The three civilians subject to non-custodial measures must present themselves periodically, are prohibited from contacting victims and co-defendants, and cannot leave the country.
The dismantled criminal organization controlled about 500 foreign workers in Alentejo, though not all are considered trafficking victims, according to police sources.
On Friday, the IGAI informed Lusa about recommending the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the 10 GNR soldiers and the PSP officer involved. At the time of the alleged crimes, the 10 detained GNR members were part of the Beja Territorial Command, while the PSP officer from the Beja District Command had been on leave since September 2024.
Among the six civilians, police sources stated that four are Portuguese and two are foreigners, all part of the criminal organization. The two foreigners from South Asia were responsible for recruiting victims of the same origin and subsequently coercing and threatening them. The group’s leader is among the Portuguese, with the others serving as his top aides.
