RTP has reported that the operation that brought a contingent of Judiciary Police agents to the Region has already resulted in the arrest of five people, who will be taken to Lisbon, where they will be heard in the first interrogation.
Meanwhile, JM has already confirmed the arrest of people linked to the sector.
At issue are suspicions of fraud in the reimbursement of mobility allowances.
The investigation team of 60 Judiciary Police officers in Madeira collected evidence related to alleged fraud in the allocation of the mobility allowance, CMTV, and CNN reported. According to the information provided, PJ officers have visited several travel agencies.
It should be recalled that the sudden arrival of a Portuguese Air Force transport plane caused a stir within the community. Meanwhile, SIC Notícias stated that the ongoing operation as “a process that investigates a gigantic fraud to the State, through the social mobility subsidy.” The Judiciary Police arrived with “almost 40 home and non-home search warrants and those suspected of qualified fraud, forgery or counterfeiting of documents and money laundering may be arrested.”
The television channel says that “the searches are taking place in Funchal, Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos, and Caniço, but also in Lisbon and Loures.”
“The investigation has evidence that the suspects recruited residents in the Autonomous Region to ask for subsidies for trips that were never made, with false tickets, invoices, and receipts.” And as such, received hundreds of thousands of euros.
The initial steps aimed to collect evidence in order to consolidate the ongoing investigation into fraud, forgery or counterfeiting of documents, and money laundering. The organisation, said one spokesperson, is highly organised and has embezzled approximately half a million euros from the state.
Searches have been carried out in travel agencies, and the homes of those suspected of being involved.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
