The eviction actions, carried out by the municipal company Domus Social, took place “after the condemnation, in the first instance, of elements of these households”, the source at the local authority, chaired by Rui Moreira, told Lusa.
According to the Chamber, the families in question were already alerted to the actions to evict their homes, which were used for drug trafficking.
“In one of the cases, the house allocated by the Municipality was even used as a ‘retreat house’, that is, the house was used either to hide drug dealers or to make it difficult to seize drugs”, said the source.
Safeguarding that the four tenants had been notified of “imminent eviction” last week, the municipality says that one of them is currently detained at the Santa Cruz do Bispo Prison, in Matosinhos, with the house being “vandalized and in a high state of abandonment “.
“And it was being abusively occupied by a family member, a scenario that seriously put the health and safety of the remaining residents of that block at risk”, stressed the municipality.
Two of the four households in question have minors, which is why, the source assured Lusa, the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People (CPCJ) and the local Social Action Services were previously alerted, “so that support can be provided and necessary referral”.
Between 2017 and 2023, Porto City Council, through Domus Social, carried out 11 eviction actions due to the use of housing contrary to the law.
“The Municipality of Porto does not allow municipal fires to be used for illicit purposes, such as drug trafficking. The resolution of this type of situation, in addition to protecting and caring for municipal heritage, aims, above all, to guarantee the safety and quality of life of the remaining residents of the public housing stock and of citizens in general”, he explained.
Tags: Drug trafficking leads Porto City Council evict families
