A radical far-right group known as Movimento Armilar Lusitano (MAL), orchestrated by a high-ranking official of the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP), has been recruiting police officers, military personnel, and individuals skilled in weaponry. This development was disclosed on June 27 by a reputable source.
Judicial documents indicate that at least ten members from security forces and the military have collaborated with MAL, an organization dismantled a week ago by the antiterrorism unit of the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), leading to the preventive detention of its leaders.
Among these collaborators are individuals like an officer well-versed in arms and explosives, a principal PSP agent residing in Famalicão, and a National Republican Guard (GNR) soldier residing in Poland on service leave, who engages in arms trading and reportedly dispatched several “suspicious packages” to MAL leaders.
In addition to other PSP and GNR members, sources report involvement of military personnel within MAL’s online communication networks. Notably, one was a key moderator of a clandestine neonazi forum, while another, a Navy marine, allegedly supplied military gear to the group.
Code Words “Olives” and “Olive Trees” Concealed Weaponry
Investigators suspect that the group supplied arms to other Portuguese far-right organizations, one of which regularly purchased weaponry from them. MAL reportedly sourced its arsenal internationally, particularly from Germany and via an Italian company’s website, employing code words like “olives” and “olive trees” to refer to weapons and ammunition.
Political Figures Targeted by Neonazi Agenda
The documents also reveal the group’s participation in protests, prominently the yellow vests movement and farmers’ protests, and express intentions against figures such as former Prime Minister António Costa, current Presidential candidate Admiral Gouveia e Melo—who was pivotal in Portugal’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign—and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Portugal.
In particular, two MAL members apparently considered an assassination attempt on the Ukrainian leader, potentially executed by Russian nationals.
