The PJ says in a statement that the suspects, all of Portuguese nationality, aged between 19 and 38, are "strongly indicted for the practice of about two dozen crimes of aggravated robbery, with the threat of firearms inside residences located mainly in the urban areas of Sintra and Cascais".

"In total terms, the group subtracted monetary amounts and valuables amounting to several hundred thousand euros”.

According to the PJ, the criminal group is made up of a “hard core” composed of between six and eight people and had “great geographical mobility and carried out prior planning on the residences they wanted to approach, always committing crimes with the threat of a firearm”.

The PJ adds that, as a rule, the areas targeted by theft were approached by several assailants, between three and five aggressors, while the rest, never less than two, remained outside the places to carry out security. To move around, they used their own vehicles or those stolen in the robberies.

In the operation “Casa de Partida”, which had the operational collaboration of the GNR, weapons and other means used in the robberies were seized. Steps are now being taken to recover stolen property including jewellery and other items.