A source from the National Union of the Prison Guard Corps (SNCGP) informed that the intruder managed to evade the guards on duty.
The incident occurred around 5:00 AM, when an intruder was “once again detected” inside the prison area of the Alcoentre facility, in the municipality of Azambuja.
The intruder fled, but guards noticed he had thrown a bag into one of the prison’s dormitories, located within an “easily accessible farm”.
Upon searching, they immediately discovered a bag containing various illicit products, the SNCGP president stated.
Frederico Morais reported that the seized bag contained 30 new mobile phones, still packaged, with respective chargers, a rope, alcoholic beverages, and vaporizers with the synthetic drug K4, which was previously smuggled in on book or letter paper but is now introduced via liquid spray due to detection.
About a month and a half ago, Alcoentre guards detected another intruder leaving “a bag with various illicit materials” including mobile phones, vaporizers, and knives. Following warning shots fired into the air, the individual was captured and handed over to local GNR authorities.
The union leader mentioned that this is the third incident of this kind in the past year, in addition to two prisoners’ escape on July 7 and the gate remaining open for three months (from the end of February to mid-May) due to malfunction, awaiting repair authorization from the Directorate-General of Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP).
Frederico Morais attributes this insecurity to the shortage of guards, which forces the deactivation of some posts, and the alleged poor management by the prison director, who, according to the unionist, prioritizes the production and sale of wine produced on the farm over serious security issues.
“If it were the wine that the prison produces and sells, the problems would have already been resolved, but since it concerns security, no one cares,” the union leader said, questioning how, after all these incidents and failures, the DGRSP continues to keep the director in position.
The SNCGP calls for the direct and urgent intervention of the Minister of Justice in prison services, as “someone must address the security issues in Portuguese prisons”.
The union emphasizes that the Alcoentre Prison “currently suffers from a significant lack of personnel, leading to the overload of the Prison Guard Corps staff, who are deprived of compensatory rest for overtime work performed”.
“All members must perform overtime, sometimes unpaid, to ensure the prison’s security,” adding that “the guards claim they can ensure the facility’s security, but they are close to reaching a breaking point due to the high effort they are subjected to daily”.
