The five members of the group have committed dozens of thefts since January 2022, but they were arrested the first time in Beja, in February of the current year, but released by the Public Ministry. Four are already in pre-trial detention..
Four of the five elements of the “hyper gang”, aged between 22 and 35 year old, three Portuguese and two Brazilians, who worked in various locations across the country, whose modus operandi consisted of the theft of portable computers, high-value mobile phones and spirits, are already in custody. On the run is the fifth element, of 29 year old, on who has an arrest warrant pending and is wanted by the PSP.
The group from a locality in the municipality of Odivelas (Lisbon) is suspected of more than three dozen thefts committed since January 2022, in the Greater Lisbon area, Algarve and Alentejo.
Beja District Command (CDB) of the PSP announced the capture of two of the suspects, of 22 and 24 year old, that after being presented to a Judge of Criminal Investigation (JIC) the Court of Beja, were placed in pre-trial detention. Two of the members of the group are already in the situation of pre-trial detainees., for identical crimes, but at the disposal of other processes investigated in different districts of the country.
The “hyper gang” was arrested last day 11 Feb., Inside the Model store, at Ratail Parque de Beja, at a time when the group already had two shopping carts with mobile phones, smartwatch and spirits, all rated at 6.930 euros. The five individuals were neutralized by the action of the PSP, having only one of them, martial artist, resisted to PSP agents, but he was also arrested.
The group was betrayed by a theft made the day before at the Worten store, on the mainland located at the other end of the city, next to the IP2, from where they took various electronic material and mobile phones whose value amounted to 1.200 euros. At the time of this theft, and after viewing the images from the film cameras, the agents of the Criminal Investigation Police (EIC) they asked other district commands for information and realized that they were in the presence of a very dangerous and organized group. One of the suspects made the mistake of wearing the same clothes, a red track suit, who easily identified the group. After entering the Retail Parque establishment, “undercover” agents waited for them to be ready to leave the space to act and make the arrests.
At the time, a high-capacity vehicle was also seized., that had been stolen, several fake license plates, that the suspects used in each theft, saw blades, electrical tape, security devices and 355 euro cash. have yet been recovered 10 cell phones and a smartwatch from the theft perpetrated on the first day in Beja.
Presented to court and released without being heard
The five men, some of them already sentenced to effective prison sentences, were gifts to 13 of February to a JIC of the Court of Beja for the application of the competent measures of coercion, but they were eventually released without being heard.
Lidador News at the time (LN) contacted the Public Prosecutor's Coordinating Prosecutor (MP) Beja, which justified that "I observe the secrecy of justice", confirmed that “the detainees were not interrogated in the first interrogation”, justifying that the process “is under investigation, with a view to gathering evidence”, concluded.
LN found that when they were present at the JIC, the PSP CDB gathered more than three dozen investigations of other thefts that occurred in different parts of the country where the group was the main suspect.
In order not to “kill” the investigation, would have been an understanding of the PM's hierarchical chain, that the detainees remain in, freedom without being heard, in order to “create a sense of impunity” to make arrests later.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
