A source contacted stated that the 17 detainees are expected to begin appearing for the initial judicial interrogation at the Central Court of Criminal Investigation (TCIC) “on Wednesday afternoon,” although no specific time has been provided.
Inquiries were also made to the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) via email regarding this operation, noting that 11 of the 17 detainees are members of security forces.
In response, the IGAI stated it is “gathering information on the reported facts as well as on the respective suspects.”
The Ministry of Internal Administration was contacted about the arrest of these GNR and PSP members but has yet to respond.
In a statement, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the execution of operation “Safra Justa,” which dismantled a criminal organization aiding illegal immigration that controlled hundreds of foreign workers, most in an irregular situation in Portugal.
The operation, resulting in 17 arrests—10 GNR military officers, one PSP member, and six civilians—was conducted through the PJ’s National Counterterrorism Unit (UNCT) as part of an inquiry led by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP).
According to the PJ, approximately 50 search warrants and 17 arrest warrants were executed, not only in Beja but also in Portalegre, Figueira da Foz, and Porto.
A police source indicated that the 10 detained GNR military officers belong to the Beja Territorial Command of the GNR.
Regarding the detained PSP officer, it was revealed that he “was serving in the Beja District Command” but “was not currently working,” according to a police source.
Contacted by Lusa, a source from the National Directorate of Public Security Police (PSP) explained that the officer “has been on leave since September 2024.”
In a statement on the DCIAP’s website, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) said the 17 detainees are suspected of exploiting the victims’ vulnerability to “derive substantial economic advantages.”
“The investigation is examining the activities of the suspects who exploited the vulnerable (documentation, social, and economic) situation of citizens from third countries, mostly undocumented, to gain significant economic benefits,” it reads.
The offenses under investigation, according to the MP, include aiding illegal immigration, human trafficking, active and passive corruption, and abuse of power.
The PJ, also in the statement, noted that crimes under investigation include aiding illegal immigration, forgery, tax fraud, and money laundering.
The immigrants, alleged the MP, “were willing to work without a formal contract” and received “wages below the market rate for the work” in sectors with intensive labor use, such as agriculture.
“The suspects did not deliver the promised amounts to them, deducting arbitrarily imposed amounts for accommodation, transportation, water, electricity, and documentation expenses,” it highlighted.
Highlighting the involvement of security force members among the suspects, the MP stressed that these individuals, “in exchange for economic compensation, outside their professional competences and violating the duties tied to their public functions,” exercised “control and surveillance of foreign workers.”
“These suspects further threatened those citizens, suggesting that reporting to authorities was not a viable option to react to the abuses,” it emphasized.
A police source mentioned that inquiries are underway at Beja Air Base No. 11 following the operation.
[Updated at 16:05]
