Headline: PSP Launches Operation CACAIS: 12 Search Warrants Executed in Amadora
Subhead: Investigation into Violent Protests Following Odair Moniz’s Death Intensifies
Meta Description: Police launch major operation in Amadora, executing 12 search warrants in connection with violent protests following the death of Odair Moniz.
Article:
The PSP (Public Security Police) has launched Operation CACAIS, a significant operation aimed at gathering evidence related to the recent violent protests that engulfed Lisbon following the death of Odair Moniz. The operation resulted in the execution of 12 search warrants on Thursday, focusing on the Bairro Alto da Cova da Moura and Bairro do Zambujal neighborhoods in the municipality of Amadora.
According to a PSP statement, the operation seeks to collect evidence for various criminal investigations, including incidents of object throwing (including incendiary devices), arson, vandalism, rioting, drug trafficking, threats and coercion, firearm possession, and damage to police vehicles.
Of the 12 warrants issued, six are directly linked to the unrest that occurred in multiple locations across the capital city. The operation involved approximately 100 security forces from various divisions and Metro Units of the PSP’s Lisbon headquarters.
In an interview with media outlets, subintendent Bruno Pereira revealed that four house searches took place in the Bairro do Zambujal, six in Bairro Cova da Moura, and two in the São Brás de Alportel parish. So far, three people have been arrested, and eight others have been taken to the police station for questioning.
Four suspects, directly involved in the serious incidents, face charges of qualified damage to public property, participation in a riot, and involvement in disturbances. Moreover, the investigation uncovered other crimes such as illegal weapon possession, drug trafficking, and firearm possession.
The operation’s name, CACAIS, is symbolic, as explained by subintendent Bruno Pereira: "It serves to remember that among many victims, there was a special one – Tiago Cacais, the Carris bus driver who suffered a heinous crime and continues to recover."
The protests that followed Odair Moniz’s death in the Cova da Moura neighborhood on October 21 left a trail of destruction, with trash cans and vehicles set ablaze in various locations across Lisbon, Loures, Amadora, and Oeiras.
The PSP’s concerted effort aims to maintain public order and bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
