An 88-year-old woman was accused of qualified fraud, in an investigation conducted by the National Republican Guard (GNR), which also involved a 55-year-old accomplice. The case, which spread across several regions of the country, drew attention due to the unusual ages of the suspects and the methodical way in which they acted.
According to the GNR, which in Portugal is responsible for security and criminal investigation outside large cities, the two women went to gold buying and selling stores, where they expressed interest in high-value pieces, creating an apparent relationship of trust with the employees.
Repeated and organized method
According to the newspaper Nascer do Sol, the scheme consisted of guaranteeing merchants that payment would be made immediately by bank transfer. However, the amount ended up being canceled later, when the items were already in the possession of the suspects.
The defendants’ actions were organized and continuous, allowing the GNR to draw a clear profile of their practices and identify patterns that were repeated in different locations.
Diligences and seizure of assets
During the investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigation Center of Penafiel, the military managed to seize several pieces of gold, valued at around 30 thousand euros.
According to the GNR, the recovered assets have already been identified and will be returned to the legitimate owners, minimizing the losses caused by the scheme.
The constitution of the suspects as defendants represents just one phase of the process, which is now continuing in the courts.
Communication to the court and legal procedures
As stated by the same source, the case was reported to the Paredes Judicial Court, following the usual legal procedures. According to the same source, the investigation sought to act to protect the victims and ensure that the assets were recovered.
The authorities’ actions stood out for their combination of technical rigor and close monitoring of the victims, avoiding further damage.
Unusual profile of suspects
The involvement of an octogenarian aroused particular media interest and demonstrates that crime can take unexpected forms. The analysis of fraud patterns and the mapping of targeted stores were crucial to the success of the operation.
According to GNR, which specializes in criminal investigation in Portugal, the cooperation of victims and attention to detail allowed the assets to be quickly identified and the gold recovered.
Conclusion of the investigation
The outcome of the process continues to be monitored by the court and the GNR, with the guarantee that all recovered assets will be returned to their legitimate owners.
According to , the active participation of local authorities and the collaboration of the victims were decisive for the investigation to come to a successful conclusion, according to the same source.
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