Today, the court officers’ strike forced the group of judges at the Braga Court to postpone the start of the trial of a drug trafficking network, allegedly carried out in two residences in the city and which would be managed by a 68-year-old woman, but using a daughter and two granddaughters, and using the help of 14 drug addicts.
Six repeat offendersWorks in Santa Tecla change business
In total there are 18 people in the city who will have – and according to the investigation carried out by the Braga PSP – sold or helped to sell, in eight months, between 2022 and 2023, 150 rocks of cocaine and 50 packages of heroin, for day, that is, a total of 36,750 rocks of cocaine and 12,250 packages of heroin. With this, obtaining a profit of 428 thousand euros, 367,500 from the sale of cocaine and 61,250 from heroin. Which corresponded to five kilos of cocaine and three of heroin.
The Public Ministry’s indictment concluded that the sale of narcotics to drug addicts was carried out alternately between an apartment in the Bairro Social de Santa Tecla, owned by Maria do Céu C. – known as “Clarinha and Tia” – and a residence on Avenida January 31st but reached the neighboring areas of Prado, Vila Verde and Caldas das Taipas (Guimarães).
Drug addicts who went to the neighborhood consumed the drug inside the house, so that, when approached by the Police, it could not be seized, nor could the place be linked to the sale of drugs.
The MP maintains that, between September 2022 and May 2023, the defendant led a group of 17 individuals – including a daughter and two granddaughters – who were dedicated to the transport, dosing and sale/resale of narcotics.
Six repeat offenders
As a rule – says the indictment – each stone of cocaine is sold for 10 euros and each package of heroin for five, which allowed them to make a profit of 379,750 euros.
The MP emphasizes that six – five of whom are in pre-trial detention – of the 18 defendants, including the “leader”, did not restrain themselves from persisting in committing the same type of crime, thus demonstrating that the previous convictions were not enough to dissuade them.
Works in Santa Tecla change business
Given that, during this period, the Municipality carried out redevelopment works in the Santa Tecla Social Neighborhood, with PSP agents there providing security – which kept consumers away – the business moved to the house on Avenida January 31st and for various locations in the city, as well as for the neighboring municipalities of Vila Verde and Guimarães.
The main defendant enticed employees to travel to the city of Porto, to purchase the drugs “cocaine” and “heroin”, to later sell them to consumers.
MINHO contacted lawyer João Ferreira Araújo, who defends three defendants, and he only said that “at the trial hearing we will prove that the factuality contained in this accusation does not correspond to the truth”!
