A couple, of a family network of drug traffickers, was condemned on Friday by a Panel of Judges (CJ) of the Court of Beja to a sentence of eight years in prison each, and the joint payment of the amount of 649.174,71 euros.
This amount was considered incongruous heritage, resulting from illicit activity, maintained the Public Ministry (MP). Payment must be made 10 days after the final judgment of the ruling, maintaining the court's arrest of family property, as a guarantee of payment.
From the family network dismantled in 5 December 2022, in Aljustrel, was part of the father, son, daughter-in-law and a second cousin, considered the leader of the group with the woman, there were eight people in total, six men and two women, aged 23 and 48 year old.
The Panel of Judges sentenced six of the defendants to terms between 2 years and 3 months and 8 years in prison, wherein 3 of sentences were suspended during execution. Two of the defendants were acquitted.
The couple, LuĂs Lampreia, of 41 year old, and Maria Borges, of 39 year old, who had been living together for a few years and had a son in common 5 years, suffered the heaviest penalties, 8 years in prison each. Luis's cousin, Ricardo Alves, of 27 year old, been sentenced to 6 years in prison and the extensive loss of benefits worth 29.238,22 euros, which the MP considers to result from drug trafficking.
Teresa Albino, of 23 year old, Ricardo's companion, It was ordered to 3 years and six months in prison. LuĂs Guerreiro, of 40 year old, He was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison and LuĂs Guiomar, of 35 year old, a 2 years and 3 months of imprisonment, sentences suspended upon execution.
The big turnaround in the reading of the ruling happened to the two women. Maria Borges who was free, heard the president of the CJ change the coercive measure to preventive detention, and was immediately taken to the Odemira Prison (EPO), while Teresa Albino, who was imprisoned at the EPO, was released, in view of the suspension of the sentence imposed. In turn, LuĂs Borges and Ricardo Alves, will remain in preventive detention at the Beja Prison, the latter having celebrated his thirtieth birthday on the day the condemnatory ruling was read.
On 2 December 2020, when GNR carried out the operation to dismantle the network, It has been complied with 12 search warrants, with three domiciles worth highlighting, six in vehicles and three in establishments, that took place in the three municipalities where the suspects resided and sold the drug. They were seized 250 hashish doses and 20 Cocaine, 22 ecstasy tablets, 198 Tablets used as a cutting product, 15 nicotine sachets and three bottles of nitrous oxide. Used in the development of criminal activity, seven mobile phones were taken by the Guard military, five precision scales, a petard, one scissors and six knives.
The authorities also seized 3.675 euro cash, 40 pounds in notes, 17 gold and two silver rings, six vehicles and a watercraft, which researchers considered to result from the sale of drugs to consumers, situation that the MP defended and the court found to be proven.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
