PJ's investigation concluded the group that spent money on third parties

A Judicial Police (JP) today indicated that it had concluded the investigation that culminated in the disarticulation of an alleged criminal group in the North Zone that charged higher amounts than those lending to third parties, which were also coerced and threatened.

In a statement, PJ points out that it concluded and referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office the investigation “which culminated in the disarticulation of a group dedicated to the repeated practice of aggravated extortion crimes, aggravated usury, possession of a prohibited weapon and drug trafficking”, committed through loans “from large amounts of money” to third parties.

“The investigation, now completed, assumes particular emphasis on the period of time in which the performance in evidence has taken place, at least since 2013, the number of victims, a total of 40, and the calculated value of the gain of the defendants, greater than 2,350,000 euros,” says PJ.

In a statement released exactly a year ago, this criminal investigation force reported that it was “the performance of a group of seven defendants, some related to each other.”.

According to the investigation, the group lent large amounts of money to third parties who sought it because of financial difficulties, obtaining a monthly payment of 10% as a counterpart.

“ In some cases they constrained the offended to sign debt confessions substantially higher than the loan values. On the other hand, when the victims were unable to meet the monthly payment, they were embarrassed by threats and intimidation, directed to their own physical integrity and life, and in some cases to their families, resorting to firearms,” PJ said.

With this type of action, adds the Board of the North of PJ, “the defendants have managed to get the offended to pay a substantially higher value than initially agreed.”.

In the course of the investigations carried out, namely 20 home and non-house searches, in the municipalities of Matosinhos, Porto, Penafiel, Gondomar and Oliveira de Azeméis, which involved about 100 elements, four people were arrested, one of which has since been subject to the measure of coercion of preventive imprisonment.

The PJ adds that among the evidence elements seized are EUR 33,000 in cash, three high-end cars, different documentation related to loans made, computer equipment, weapons, ammunition and also product of anabolic nature contained in the World Anti-Doping Code.

“ Nevertheless, the final product of the investigation was possible to conclude from the possible existence of black figures in this type of action intended by the defendants, corresponding to other victims who, due to fear of reprisals, shame, or given the idea that the complaint might not have consequences, preferred not to communicate what happened to the authorities ", says PJ, in the statement.

The survey is titled by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Porto and was attended by the Office for Asset Recovery of PJ.