NCIS hits the shellfish mafia

At least 500 people were identified this Monday and 25 were charged with administrative offenses related to illegal shellfish harvesting during a large-scale maritime police operation in the Samouco beach area of ​​Alcochete. ABOUT CM You know that NCIS Criminal Investigation has identified a suspect who may have been the recipient of this illegal labor, likely one of the leaders of the human trafficking and illegal shellfish harvesting network in the Tagus River.

The operation, carried out with the assistance of the Information and Security Service (SIS), involved approximately one hundred maritime police officers, and 2,700 euros and four vans were confiscated.

For the first time, undocumented immigrants from South America, especially Venezuela, were identified among the illegal immigrants. The rest – the majority – according to the head of the regional maritime police, Paulo Rodrigues Vicente, “the temporary residence permit has expired” and they will be handed over to the competent authorities.

For what CM It was decided that the investigation would continue. In addition, authorities have made several incursions aimed at combating criminal networks associated with the illegal fishing, trading and international trade of bivalve molluscs, such as an operation that took place in June that resulted in the arrest of three people and the constitution of 10 defendants. .

TO LEARN MORE
22 million per year
From 20 to 30 tons of shellfish worth at least 60 thousand euros are exported from Tagus per day. The annual cost can be 22 million euros, a figure that doubles in countries where trafficking occurs. Hundreds of immigrants are exploited.

Operation Means involved
The local command of the Maritime Police of Lisbon, the Group of Tactical Actions (GAT) and the Central Criminal Investigation Unit (UCIC) took part in the operation in the Samuco beach area.