The National Republican Guard (GNR) conducted a series of police operations resulting in 39 search warrants being executed; these included seven residential and 32 commercial and annex site searches, in addition to the enforcement of two detention warrants, according to a statement from the GNR.
Along with the raids, authorities inspected 30 commercial establishments.
The GNR explained that the operation, which has been ongoing in the city of Funchal for about a year, targets “illegal gambling, online betting, and tax fraud.”
Overall, the operation led to the arrest of two men, aged 41 and 51, the charging of 26 individuals aged between 23 and 66, and the seizure of 30 illegal gambling machines, 42 dart machines, €318,000 in cash, and various computer equipment.
Today, the detainees are set to appear for a preliminary hearing at the Ponta do Sol Judicial Court, where coercive measures will be applied.
The operation involved multiple divisions from the Madeira Territorial Command, supported by personnel from the Porto and Coimbra Territorial Commands, the Fiscal Action Unit (UAF), the Coastal and Border Control Unit, and the Emergency, Protection, and Relief Unit (UEPS), collectively comprising 115 military personnel. Additionally, four inspectors from the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service contributed to technical expertise.
The GNR emphasizes that games of chance, whose outcomes rely primarily on luck, are legally permitted only in casinos and other authorized, licensed locations, as noted in their statement.
