Three men will await trial in preventive detention, while two women will report to local police twice a week after a judicial inquiry, authorities have confirmed.
The five individuals, aged between 25 and 33, were apprehended by the GNR in Alenquer and Torres Vedras. They are suspected of over a hundred thefts in cemeteries, inside vehicles, and residences across the districts of Leiria, Lisbon, Coimbra, Santarém, Évora, and Setúbal.
The operation, which spanned approximately two months, involved the GNR executing five arrest warrants and 23 search warrants. Searches included four home searches and 19 non-domestic searches in vehicles, lands, warehouses, and waste management companies in Alenquer, Almeirim, Figueira da Foz, Loures, Rio Maior, Santarém, and Torres Vedras.
Items seized in the operation included four vehicles, a mini-motorbike, €495 in cash, 738 kilograms of non-precious metals processed for sale, 24 statuettes, two televisions, a monitor, an electronic gaming device, a camera, a watch, and various marble and granite bases from dismantled religious statues.
The GNR also seized various documents and invoices related to the sale of precious and non-precious metals and tools used for theft and processing activities.
Additionally, four other individuals, aged between 20 and 64, with prior criminal records for similar offenses, were declared suspects along with a company suspected of aiding in the crimes and handling stolen goods.
