Luís Oliveira, a Portuguese actor known for participating in television productions and in the series Rabo de Peixe, was detained at the airport in Cape Verde when he returned to Portugal after a family vacation. The episode occurred during the security check and resulted in more than 20 hours in police custody, according to press reports.
According to TV 7 Dias magazine, the interpreter was taken to the Palmarejo police station and spent the night in a cell with conditions that he described as precarious. “In a cell where there was only a concrete bed and a hole to relieve oneself”, he reported, cited by the same source.
A night at the police station after the security check
The arrest occurred in the final phase of the trip, when the family was preparing to embark back to Portugal. According to the same source, two suitcases were flagged by airport authorities during the inspection.
In one of the luggage there were liquids, namely water and yogurt intended for children. In the other there were utensils, such as a fork, corkscrew and a small pocket knife. The pink magazine writes that these objects would have motivated the intervention of local authorities.
Ordinary objects, unexpected consequences
The actor explained that he carried the utensils for practical reasons, related to feeding his children, aged one and five. “When I came I went with a fork, spoon, corkscrew and pocket knife. I took all of this because I have Vitória, who is one year old, and Vicente who is five, and as we weren’t going to stay in an apartment on the island of Maio, I thought I might need it to cut fruit or other food”, he stated, according to the same source.
The publication adds that, according to him, upon leaving Portugal he was not alerted about any irregularity in the transport of those objects. “Kids things that are perfectly normal, which is what I do here in Portugal”, he said.
Detained before the family
The authorities’ approach took place in the presence of the woman and her two minor children. The moment was described as particularly difficult, considering the family context and the unexpected retention.
According to the same source, the actor lived “more than 20 hours of fear and anguish”, between his arrest at the airport and his stay at the police station. Uncertainty regarding the legal consequences worsened the impact of the situation.
Legal framework in question
He writes that Luís Oliveira could face a sentence of up to six years, depending on the legal framework attributed to the transport of objects considered prohibited in an airport context.
The same source mentions that the case is related to the legislation applicable in Cape Verde regarding airport security and the transport of utensils that could potentially be classified as prohibited objects.
Trip that ended in court
The stay on the islands of Santiago and Maio had, until then, been described by the actor as positive. “An incredible week on the island of Santiago and the island of Maio”, he reported, quoted by the publication.
The return to Portugal would, however, end up changing the outcome of the trip. What was presented as a period of family rest turned into a process with legal implications yet to be clarified.
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