PNP seized 800 kilograms of stolen olives in Castro Verde and detained four suspects

Three men and a woman were arrested by the PNP while stealing olives, and about 800 kilograms of the product were also confiscated in the municipality of Castro Verde (Beja).

In a statement released this Saturday, the PNP said that the action was carried out on Thursday through the Castro Verde territorial post of the Beja da Guarda territorial command.

The suspects, ranging in age from 22 to 60, were arrested and charged and the facts were brought before Almodóvar’s court, the statement said.

According to the GNR, during a patrol carried out as part of Operation Campo Seguro 2023, Guard soldiers surprised three suspects while they were stealing olives from an olive grove in Castro Verde.

“As a result of the action, it was possible to seize 23 bags weighing about 800 kilograms of olives, which were seized and returned to the rightful owner,” the law enforcement agencies reported.

Just this week, the Beja territorial command of the PNP has already reported the seizure of almost 1.1 tons of stolen olives in the Alentejo region.

On Friday it announced the seizure of 300 kilograms of the product and the arrest of six people in two separate actions in the municipalities of Aljustrel and Vidigueira.

During these operations, Guard soldiers also seized various materials related to the collection and collection of olives from the land.

The PNP reminded that picking olives, even if they are lying on the ground, without the consent of the owner of the olive grove may constitute a crime against property.

The Guard is conducting Operation Campo Seguro 2023, which includes patrols, awareness-raising and inspection activities to prevent crimes related to theft on agricultural property, as well as increased policing to prevent and combat theft in agricultural fields.