Two men are suspected of committing at least 19 robberies of pharmacies, restaurants and cafes in Greater Lisbon over the past year. At first, they broke down the doors of the commercial spaces with a car, but over time they became more violent.
In one of the thefts, they dragged the victim for several meters with the car and in another they rammed the PSP car. They have now been arrested by the police but, despite their long rap sheet, released by the judge.
The suspects are 37 and 40 years old and, says the Lisbon PSP, “already have a significant criminal record”. In June last year, they returned to criminal life by carrying out thefts from pharmacies and restaurants and drinks. The first thefts were carried out in the municipality of Sintra, always during the dawn and using cars to break the protection grids and doors.
The PSP account that, “During the investigation, including through video surveillance systems, It was found that the suspects used several vehicles, of different makes and models, depending on the type and size of the articles previously selected to be stolen “. He adds that the duo even resorted to “more than one vehicle stolen on the same night”.
Increasingly violent and more daring
Over time, the thieves became more violent and bolder. They extended their area of operation to the municipalities of Cascais, Oeiras, Amadora, Lisbon and Seixal and attacked several establishments that were still open. “They robbed owners and employees, then subtracted cash registers,” explains the PSP.
In one case, a man who tried to stop the robbery was dragged several meters by the robbers’ vehicle. And in the last of the thefts, the pair rammed the PSP car that responded to the robbery in progress. “They drove at high speed the vehicle used, ramming a police car and putting at serious risk the physical integrity and life of the police involved in the action to stop the continuation of the group’s criminal activity”, describes the PSP.
They hid to avoid arrest
After this episode, and for fear of being caught, the two robbers remained hidden for a few days. One of them even fled to Portimão. Even so, they were identified, located and arrested by the PSP at the end of last month, as part of four searches carried out with the “assistance of the Special Police Unit”.
They were subsequently “taken to the Judicial Court of the District of Lisbon West, Sintra Center to be subject to first judicial interrogation”. In the end, stresses the PSP, They were “applied the measure of coercion of weekly presentations”.
