A court in Praia, Cabo Verde, has ordered eleven of twenty people detained by the Judicial Police on November 3 to be held in preventive custody. The operation, dubbed "Shark," aims to investigate high-risk drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. The eleven individuals will be held while the remaining nine will face restrictions short of imprisonment.
Those not held in preventive custody face several restrictions, including weekly appearances at Judicial Police facilities, prohibition from contacting co-defendants, and an order to surrender their passports and travel documents. The court also imposed specific suspension and access restrictions on public officials and operational staff implicated in the case.
For police officers involved, the court ordered a suspension and a ban on entering police stations or accessing institutional databases. They will also be subject to daily monitoring of their actions. For members of the Fiscal Guard, the court ordered a suspension of duties, surrender of service weapons and identification, and a ban on accessing the Praia International Airport and customs areas.
The court also imposed restrictions on prison guards and support staff, prohibiting them from entering the Central Prison in Praia or any other prison in the country. One other defendant was also subject to this restriction. Additionally, measures were imposed to prevent the exercise of functions related to hospital management and control of medicine stocks.
The court also ordered the suspension of duties and blocked access to licensing and vehicle registration systems for officials from the Directorate-General for Road Transport. The Public Prosecutor's Office has notified the respective employers and hierarchical services of the judicial determinations for the execution of functional measures and possible disciplinary proceedings.
The operation "Shark" was carried out by the Judicial Police and ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office. Twenty individuals, seventeen men and three women, were detained on November 3 on suspicion of involvement in a large-scale transnational crime organization. The suspects were presented to the court on November 4 under a strong police presence.
According to the police, the suspects were detained on suspicion of high-risk drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. The organization allegedly had plans to recover around 200 million euros and a large quantity of narcotics hidden in a secret hideout. The investigation is ongoing, with the Public Prosecutor's Office pursuing further inquiries to clarify the facts.
Key points
- Eleven of twenty people detained in an anti-drug operation in Cabo Verde have been ordered to be held in preventive custody.
- The operation "Shark" aims to investigate high-risk drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes.
- Those not held in preventive custody face several restrictions, including weekly appearances at Judicial Police facilities and prohibition from contacting co-defendants.
