Three individuals were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of belonging to a criminal network responsible for the robbery of a 70-year-old man in Guimarães last year, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced today.
The suspects, comprising two men and a woman, were apprehended in the Greater Porto area. They face charges of aggravated robbery and kidnapping, criminal association, and possession of illegal weapons.
The PJ reported that the three individuals formed “an organized and properly structured group, planning and executing crimes of this nature, followed by the concealment and distribution of the stolen goods.”
“The arrests were made under Detention Warrants issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office – DIAP of Guimarães – Specialized Section in Violent and Organized Crime. Various operations were conducted, including residential and non-residential searches in the Greater Porto area,” during which evidence supporting previously obtained elements was collected.
The two men arrested are 41 and 72 years old. The former has a criminal record for similar offenses, while the latter also has an extensive criminal history involving various crimes.
The woman, aged 47, is a jeweler by profession.
According to the Judiciary Police, alongside the ongoing investigation led by the Criminal Investigation Department of Braga, further evidence indicates the suspects’ presumed involvement in another robbery carried out in a similar manner. This incident occurred in the early hours of February 25 and targeted the residents of a single-family home in Vila do Conde.
In this separate crime, the suspects employed firearms, an axe, and a crowbar, forcefully and noisily entering the residence, confronting and threatening the occupants, who were then held captive and coerced into revealing where they kept valuables, which were subsequently stolen.
This crime allegedly yielded the assailants around half a million euros, including the theft of high-value watches, gold, and cash.
The detainees will be presented to the competent judicial authorities at the Public Prosecutor’s Office – DIAP of Guimarães for judicial questioning and the application of preventive measures.
