On Tuesday, judicial police arrested six men and one woman, aged between 37 and 52, all foreigners, on suspicion of committing crimes of aggravated robbery and kidnapping in Castelo Branco and Idanha a Nova. According to the joint venture, the crimes occurred in September 2020 and November 2021, when the group, “using paramilitary-type actions,” planned to steal bitcoins from foreign citizens living in Portugal.
In the first attack, the group kidnapped five people living in a rural area and, using firearms, forced one of them to transfer bitcoins with a market value of about 3 million euros to several wallets.
During the second attack, in which five people were also kidnapped, the group was unable to transfer the bitcoins.
During searches carried out in the areas of Lisbon, Loule, Portimão, Monsanto and Penamacor, various computer equipment was confiscated, which PJ suspects was used for transactions of stolen bitcoins.
The detainees will be brought to the judicial authorities for the first interrogation and application of coercive measures.