Starts today in Beja, the trial of twenty-four defendants, twenty-two people, aged between 22 and 58 years, and two companies, detained in the largest operation ever carried out by the National Counterterrorism Unit (UNC) the Judicial Police (PJ) in the fight against human trafficking in the municipalities of Beja, Cuba, Serpa and Ferreira do Alentejo.
Of the accused, seven men and one woman are in pre-trial detention, and four under house arrest, are all of Romanian nationality, there are still three more Romanian citizens, five Moldovans, a Ukrainian and an Indian, subject to term of identity and residence (TIR).
Because the defendants have been detained since November 2022, and to avoid the cessation of coercive measures, Helena Bellas, Criminal Investigation Judge (JIC) of the Cuban Court, responsible for the debate and instructional decision, issued an order determining the termination of the connection and the separation of the case relating to the remaining twenty-seven defendants.
Regarding the latter, the Public Ministry appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal of Évora (THREE), which is why the delay in a deliberation by the TRE Judges, could lead to all deadlines for judgment being exceeded.
The 24 defendants who begin trial this Monday, individual or legal persons, are all accused of a crime of criminal association, there are then different types of crimes, like human trafficking, money laundering and possession of prohibited weapons.
The network exploited more than six dozen victims from Romania, Moldavia, India, Senegal, Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria, among others, who were enticed to work in agriculture in the Beja district and ended up being victims of unscrupulous people.
In the mega operation carried out by UNC-PJ on the day 23 November 2022, around four hundred inspectors participated, in an investigation supervised by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) Lisbon, and led on the ground by judge Carlos Alexandre.
Until the day 2 of December, the trial is scheduled 14 sessions, and will take place in the Noble Hall of the former Civil Government, where the Municipal Assembly of Beja works, one that involves 22 Defendants, dozen and a half prison guards, twenty lawyers, half a hundred witnesses, twelve interpreters, four magistrates and one judicial officer.
“Operation Mirror”
One year later, UNC-PJ carried out another action to combat human trafficking, which was given the name “Operation Mirror”, given that the contours are the same as those developed in 2022.
The process that has 33 Defendants, 24 people and 9 Business, five men and two women, six Romanians and one Portuguese, were subject to the most severe measure, the men being imprisoned in the Prison Establishment (EP) by Beja and the women in Odemira's EP.
The group is accused of committing 21 crimes, particularly human trafficking, criminal association, illegal immigration aid association, recruitment of illegal labor, possession of a prohibited weapon and document forgery.
Building of the former Civil Government of Beja
Last Friday, a strong wave of water caused several spaces in the building to flood., which as a precaution were closed to the public. At issue is a structural problem and lack of repairs to the roofs, which leads to water infiltrating the walls and “raining like on the street”.
The building, is owned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAY), and where are they based, the Baixo Alentejo Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CSREPCBA), the PSP District Command and several of its areas, including the Weapons Center, the Agency for Immigration and Asylum (AIMA), former SEF, the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT), the Finance Department, the Victim Support Center (ARE NOT) and the Municipal Assembly of Beja (WITH).
The building does not have public bathrooms and users who use the services installed there, they have to go to a cafe or to the bathrooms in Jardim Público, a mais de 400 meters away.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
