The Inspectorate-General of Internal Administration (IGAI) has indicated that a special criminal prevention operation conducted by the Public Security Police (PSP), which gained notoriety for images showing dozens of migrants lined up against a wall, was justified by the “conditions and objective” of the mission, as reported by a newspaper.
In a response, the agency overseeing police activity clarified that the administrative process initiated aimed to determine “in what context the Special Criminal Prevention Operation was planned and executed on Rua do Benformoso, in Lisbon; and specifically, the underlying reasons for the searches conducted on individuals present at the location.”
The inquiry was closed after IGAI concluded that the operation, which took place on December 19, adhered to the “legal, general, and specific precepts.”
In their statement, the IGAI also affirmed that following an analysis of the materials submitted by the PSP, they determined that “the action of restricting access to Rua do Benformoso, the need to identify and search the individuals present, as well as the method of immobilizing them,” were justified by the “conditions and objective of the special criminal prevention operation.”
They further noted that there was no excessive use of resources.
The operation sparked significant controversy when an image was released, showing dozens of people, mostly foreigners – a large community in that part of the city – lined up against a wall with their hands up, leading to discussions about the police’s approach.
Two people were detained, and almost 4,000 euros in cash were seized, along with batons, documents, a knife, a mobile phone, and a hundred counterfeit items.
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