The Public Security Police (PSP) seized 91 alarm weapons that could be transformed into firearms in Portugal during an international operation coordinated by Europol, it was announced today.
The national directorate of the PSP announced today that 84 members of the Arms and Explosives Department and the territorial commands of that police force took part, between February 19 and 23, in the fourth edition of “Operation CONVERSUS”, as part of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and coordinated by Europol, with the aim of seizing alarm weapons acquired without authorization and easily convertible into firearms.
The head of the Investigation and Inspection Unit of the Arms and Explosives Department, David Soares, explained that although the European operation was carried out in February, the data was only released today by Europol and can then be announced by the countries’ police forces.
The same source said that these alarm weapons with the capacity to be transformed into firearms, and then inserted into trafficking circuits, is a problem already identified by the European authorities and that legislation has prohibited their sale in Portugal since 2019.
During the nationwide operation, 91 weapons and 118 rounds of ammunition were seized and 20 criminal and misdemeanor notices were drawn up. No converted weapons were found, as in previous years.
These types of weapons can be converted into firearms, he explained, adding that most of them come from Turkey and that Spain was also selling them freely until a while ago.
In Portugal, its purchase has been prohibited since 2019 with an administrative offense (fine) or as a crime if it has been modified.
The February operation took place in 31 countries, namely Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
This operation is based on the PSP’s participation, through the Weapons and Explosives Department, in various international organizations such as EUROPOL and INTERPOL, in international police cooperation platforms such as EMPACT, and the consequent sharing and analysis of information related to alarm weapons, easily convertible into firearms, acquired by Portuguese citizens in the European Union.
Over the course of the various editions of this operational action, the PSP has seized a total of 383 weapons, including 292 alarm weapons that could be transformed into firearms.
In a statement released today, the PSP stressed that “international police cooperation between Europol and the police is a crucial pillar in the fight against international arms trafficking”.
