The Court of Santa María da Feira sentenced 11 defendants to real prison terms, applying suspended sentences and fines to eight individuals and acquitting four in a case involving a van hijacking scheme to Africa.
23 defendants (16 men and seven women aged 22 to 78) were charged with crimes related to the criminal community, theft, embezzlement, drug trafficking, forgery, obtaining, fraud, feigning a crime, introduction to the public, damage, financial assistance and cruelty to companion animals.
The June 23 decision, seen by Lusa this Thursday, said the 11 defendants were sentenced to effective prison terms ranging from one and a half to 16 years.
The panel of judges also awarded suspended sentences ranging from one and a half to four and a half years in prison to eight defendants, five of whom will have to pay the victims and the insurance company amounts from 1,000 to 12,500 euros. not to go to jail.
The other defendant was sentenced to a 30-day fine of 5 euros per day for a total of 150 euros.
The remaining four defendants were acquitted of all the crimes they were accused of.
Several defendants will still have to pay the state about 185,000 euros for the loss of profits from the crime.
Eight defendants on remand and another defendant under house arrest remain under the measure of duress they are under until all avenues of appeal have been exhausted, as they have been sentenced to effective imprisonment.
The panel of judges terminated the crime of the criminal association imputed to the five defendants, concluding that “this crime is not proven”, and the crime of cruelty to a companion animal, imputed to two defendants, on grounds of “material nature”. unconstitutionality.”
The Court found that between February 2020 and May 2021, the Principal Defendants stole dozens of vehicles, mostly Toyota and Mitsubishi vans, as they were in “high demand” in the African countries that were the final destination of the said vehicles.
According to the investigation, the suspects were especially careful in communicating using coded language and put their mobile phones into flight mode so that they could not be detected by law enforcement.
Most of the defendants were apprehended by the GNR in May 2021 during Operation Entry, which targets a criminal network of vehicles involved in theft, receipt and misuse of vehicles, document forgery, home theft and drug trafficking. , with incidence in the north of the Aveiro region and with links to other regions of the country.
The operation was carried out in the municipalities of Braga, Espinho, Estarreja, Gaia, Guarda, Loures, Mangualde, Oliveira de Azemeis, Ovar and Santa Maria da Feira, executing 11 arrest warrants outside the crime scene and conducting 64 house searches. .
During the operation, 35 vehicles, hundreds of VINs, registration certificates and vehicle documents, 40 catalytic converters, four workbenches for auto repair shops, several boxes/suitcases and carts with auto mechanic’s tools, various dismantled car parts, various items from stolen vehicles were seized during the operation. and gold items.
Also seized were a signal pistol, several copies of weapons, 21 6.35 mm cartridges, 200 liters of diesel fuel, 20 gas cylinders, various construction products and tools, 400 doses of hashish and 16,000 euros in cash.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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