Portugal’s security police (PSP) have seized firearms and surveillance equipment at commercial premises in Vale de Lobo and Quinta do Lago.
The businesses, both private security companies, operate in the two prestigous tourist zones and had illegally been using concealed outdoor surveillance cameras.
In a statement, the PSP said that the operation ended up with the seizure of 17 firearms, ammunition, and three video surveillance cameras in security patrol cars, cameras which private security companies are strictly banned from using.
The PSP spokesman said they are still checking out where the weapons came from, but said that most of them were found at one of the two companies.
These weapons are totally illegal as under the law, companies cannot own weapons. In addition, two of the weapons seized were not even registered.
The police also found video surveillance cameras hidden outside in the areas the companies covered, again this is illegal.
According to the PSP source, companies and councils can have cameras to capture images on public roads, as already happens in some cities, but these must be monitored by the police and not by private security companies.
"The capture of images on public roads is inadmissible for private security companies, even for the police, the recording of images comes with its own legislation," according to the PSP which is in charge of the control, licensing and supervision of private security companies in Portugal.
The PSP say that this inspection and the sort of illegalities they found in operation should act as a warning to others.
