14 suspects of causing panic in Barcelos with robberies, drugs and weapons will be tried

The Braga Court will judge 14 people, 13 men and one woman, all from Barcelos, accused of more than 20 criminal incidents, committed between 2022 and 2023 in the city, with several episodes of violence against both people and property.

Kidnapping and threat to “kill the black man” Fight with knifes

The Public Ministry’s accusation, now confirmed by the Court of Instruction, concluded that the two main defendants, Ricardo M. and Bruno M., allegedly leaders of “a gang with five main members – all around 22 years of age, committed, 27 and 23 crimes respectively, including extortion, aggravated threat, robbery, aggravated robbery and possession of a prohibited weapon”.

The indictment says that there were clashes between two rival groups and that the majority aimed to attack one person, João C. (nicknamed the “Devil”), or others of his relationships, as well as causing damage to establishments frequented by him.

As a way of heightening the climate of fear – highlights the MP – and creating an intimidating image, some members of the group displayed firearms and issued threats on social media, “which led to many of their victims being afraid to report the facts they were targeted.”

The defendants stole vehicles, robbed gas stations, warehouses and construction sites, but also robbed people, kidnapping one and attacking others.

Kidnapping and threat to “kill black people”

The MP says that, in August 2022, the defendant Nélson F. suspected that António C. was involved in the disappearance of 30 rocks of cocaine, which is why he called him saying he would go to his house to clarify the matter.

When António arrived home in Galegos (Santa Maria), he found him at the door and was forced to let him in. Although he denied stealing the ‘coca’, Nelson searched his house, beat him and left, locking the door with him inside. He returned shortly afterwards with two others, one of them with an iron chain in his hand. The three attacked the victim, punching, kicking and using a chain, leaving him prostrate on the bed. They broke several objects and left with others.

At night, they looked for him again in a cafe, demanding 300 euros for stealing the drugs and threatening to burn down his house.

MINHO contacted lawyer João Ferreira Araújo, from Braga, who defends two defendants, who only said that he hopes the trial begins soon, “so that we can demonstrate that they have nothing to do with the facts of the accusation.”

The accusation also refers to four other cases of violence, one of them, on August 26th, in the early hours of the morning, in Jardim das Barrocas, after a fight with five knife wounds to another young man, who was already lying on the ground, hitting him in the two legs.

They also looked for a man in a cafe in a shopping center in Arcozelo, with whom they had had an argument, saying they were going to “kill the black guy”, and firing shots into the air, knowing that there were children in the place.

In November, at night, they attacked and robbed a man who was in a car on Rua das Torgas, in Barcelos, taking several goods from him and forcing him to withdraw 300 euros from an ATM.

That month, out of revenge, they attacked a woman and two other people with sticks and a pickaxe who came to help her.

As O MINHO reported, they also purposely destroyed, with sticks and a golf club, another woman’s car, a BMW with French registration.

On January 29, 2023, at 4:40 am, four young people were listening to music at Praceta Francisco Sá Carneiro. Two of the defendants, who had arrived in the meantime, demanded that the music be turned off, which they did not comply with. Shortly afterwards, 13 other members of the “gang” arrived and, starting by surrounding them, triggered a scene of beatings, with attacks with punches and kicks, on the face and body, which resulted in a broken tooth and several injuries, forcing the hospital treatment. And they stole an iPhone brand cell phone.