PSP registers less than 10 complaints for fuel theft in São Miguel

A PSP registered less than 10 fuel theft complaints in vehicles and farms on the island of São Miguel in the Azores during 2026, ensuring that the data point to a significant decrease in this type of crime.

The president of the Agricultural Federation of the Azores, Jorge Rita, warned, on Friday, of several thefts on farms on the island of São Miguel, which are reaching fuels, some agricultural machinery, equipment and rations, after a period of “some truce” in occurrences.

In response to questions from the Lusa agency, related to the wave of thefts that have affected the agricultural sector, the office of support to the regional commander of the Public Security Police (PSP) points out that in the course of 2026, on the island of São Miguel, “less than 10 complaints have been registered regarding this criminal typology, which represents a very small number of occurrences”.

The police ensure that “the comparative analysis of the available statistical data makes it possible to identify a trend towards a very significant decrease in this type of crime when confronted with previous years’ records”.

According to the Regional Command of the PSP, there are no indicators that point to a recent increase in this phenomenon.

As regards the investigations, the Regional Commander of the PSP of the Azores, Hélder Valente Dias, clarifies that all complaints concerning fuel thefts that are submitted to the Public Security Police “are subject to the legally foreseen procedures and are communicated to the Public Prosecutor in accordance with the applicable terms and giving rise to the initiation of the respective investigation”.

In the framework of these investigation proceedings, “the steps deemed appropriate and necessary to establish the circumstances in which the facts occurred, the collection of evidence and the identification of the authors under the direction of the competent judicial authority are developed”, he adds.

In view of the situation, the PSP calls on farmers and the population to adopt preventive safety measures, including by strengthening surveillance on agricultural vehicles, machinery and installations and protecting fuel deposits.

The PSP also recommends “immediate communication” and “as soon as possible” to the authorities of any suspicious situations in order to allow “a timely intervention by the authorities and the preservation of any evidence”.

Complaints can be presented in person at the nearest PSP police station, directly with the public prosecutor's services or through the Electronic Complaint Portal, the police recalls.

The PSP underlines that the formalisation of complaints is essential for “police and judicial authorities to be aware of the facts and to be able to initiate legal procedures and the necessary investigative steps”.

In addition to contributing to the collection of evidence and to the identification and accountability of the authors, the formal communication of thefts also allows “identifying patterns of criminal activity, signaling possible geographical or temporal concentrations of this phenomenon and also adapting the police action to the identified needs,” the PSP stresses.

Police warn that “the absence of formal complaint can contribute to a distorted perception of the real dimension” of this criminal phenomenon, “difficulting its statistical analysis and the adoption of appropriate preventive and operational measures”.

The PSP reinforces the importance of the collaboration of farmers and the community, calling for the denunciation of all occurrences, regardless of the value of the damage caused.

In statements to Lusa on Friday, the President of the Agricultural Federation maintained that the situation gained a new dimension “about two months ago”, stating that, in addition to financial losses, this situation is causing an increasing feeling of insecurity among farmers.

According to Jorge Rita, “more than 90% of the robberies are done by night inside” and occur “practically throughout the island of São Miguel”, although with greater focus “on the North and South coasts”.