Unbelievable Incident in Algarve: 13 Drug Suspects Released Due to No Prosecutor

In Portugal, we are used to life slowing down in the summer months and the courthouse and bureaucracy going on holiday, but this much really makes us give up. Security forces operate in the field day and night and catch smugglers, and when it comes to the courthouse, the system literally locks down.

Reason? It's simple: Judicial recess and insufficient prosecutors on duty.

Boat, 5 Thousand Liters of Fuel and 13 Suspects

The incident was sparked by major operations carried out on the Algarve coast over the weekend. Immediately after those eventful days when approximately 5 tons of marijuana were seized and 7 people were arrested, a new operation was carried out in Tavira on Monday. Coast guard and police teams; He caught a rubber boat, 200 canisters of fuel totaling 5 thousand liters, and a group of 13 people, including citizens of Spain, Morocco and Romania, red-handed.

According to the police, the picture is very clear: This team and the huge amount of fuel transported were there to provide logistical support and supply to speedboats carrying drugs on the high seas.

"There is no prosecutor to look after, come on September 18"

The tragicomic part of the matter begins right here. The 13 people who were caught were wanted to be referred to the court, but due to the judicial holiday, no personnel could be found to work in the prosecutor's office in the region. The prosecutor's office could not even bring the suspects to their first interrogation hearing due to excessive workload and insufficient guards. As a solution, he made a mind-boggling decision and released 13 people by saying, "Come to the court in Vila Real de Santo António on September 18."

Of course, it is pure delusion to believe that these foreign nationals will come back to court in mid-September with no worries.

Only Two Judges Are on Duty in the Region

Local judicial sources clearly reveal why the system is blocked in a huge area such as the Eastern Algarve (Sotavento Algarvio). There are only two judges in the region trying to keep up with all the urgent cases, domestic violence cases and custodial interrogations. At the Tavira Prosecutor's Office, there is literally only one staff member on duty. While there are dozens of urgent files pending, the prosecutor's office cannot handle new detentions.

The suspects' lawyer, Pedro Pestana, argues that the decision is legally correct and claims that there is no concrete drug substance and that an arrest cannot be made based on suspicion alone. Although the police side is sure of the quality of the seized equipment, the labor in the field has fallen victim to the courthouse's holiday calendar and lack of personnel.

Source: Correio da Manhã / Portugal Resident (Natasha Donn)