PSP confiscated 35 weapons in Europol-coordinated operation

The PSP seized 35 weapons and 385 signaling ammunition as part of an international operation against arms trafficking coordinated by Europol that took place in 31 European countries and led to the arrest of 22 people.

About 90 agents from the Department of Weapons and Explosives and the PSP Command’s Weapons and Explosives Nuclei participated in “Operation Conversus,” according to a communiqué released on Monday by that police’s National Directorate, which explained that the focus of the authorities’ actions was to seize signal weapons. , easily convertible into firearms.

“International police cooperation between Europol and the police constitutes the most important pillar in the fight against international arms trafficking, which is ensured in Portugal through the PSP National Directorate / Department of Weapons and Explosives,” the PSP said in a note.

According to Europol, Operation Conversus was carried out by Romania and Bulgaria and also resulted in 143 searches of houses and the seizure of a total of 1,621 weapons (129 firearms and 1,492 signal and signal weapons in unmodified and converted form), 24,735 rounds of ammunition in unmodified form. , converted and live ammunition, six grenades, 276 kg of dynamite, 299 detonators and over 21 kg of gunpowder.

In addition to Portugal, the following countries also participated in this operation: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden , Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK.