In a statement, the Beja Territorial Command of the GNR announced that four of the suspects, two men and two women, between 17 and 22 years old, were arrested in the act last Saturday, in the municipality of Aljustrel.

In this action, carried out by the Territorial Post of Aljustrel, with the reinforcement of the Territorial Post of Ferreira do Alentejo, the military seized 300 kilos of olives, according to the statement.

A source from the guard told Lusa news agency today that the military received a complaint about the theft of olives and went to the location, where they managed to locate the suspects.

“Upon arriving at the scene, they went through the olive grove area and checked where the suspects were”, ending up arresting them in the act, he added.

In addition to the 300 kilos of olives, various material related to the harvest and collection of olives from the ground was seized.

The detainees were made defendants and the facts were referred to the Ourique Judicial Court.

According to another GNR statement, the other two suspects, a man and a woman, aged 22 and 23, respectively, were arrested for the same type of robbery in the municipality of Vidigueira.

The action, through the Vidigueira Territorial Post, took place on Wednesday and resulted, in addition to the arrests, in the seizure of 104 kilos of olives, as well as various materials related to the harvest and collection of that product from the ground.

“As part of a complaint that the suspects were stealing olives from an olive grove, the military guards quickly moved to the location, where they surprised the suspects at the moment they were picking up the olives without the owner’s authorisation,” he said.

In the statement, the GNR recalled that harvesting or picking olives, even if they are lying on the ground, without the consent of the olive grove owner, could constitute a crime against property.

As part of the "Campo Seguro 2023" operation, the GNR is developing patrolling, awareness-raising and inspection actions, with the purpose of preventing theft crimes, near agricultural properties/farms, as well as reinforcing policing to dissuade and repress the practice of theft in agricultural fields.