Eleven Portuguese Police Officers Arrested in Major Human Trafficking Investigation

Police Officers Implicated in Exploitation Scheme

Eleven Portuguese law enforcement officers were arrested on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, as part of a significant investigation into human trafficking and the exploitation of immigrant workers in the agricultural sector. The arrests include ten officers from the National Republican Guard (GNR) and one agent from the Public Security Police (PSP). Several business owners were also detained in connection with the alleged criminal network.

The operation, dubbed 'Safra Justa' (Fair Harvest), was led by the Judicial Police (PJ) and involved extensive searches across the Alentejo region and other parts of the country.

Allegations of Coercion and Financial Exploitation

According to the Central Department of Investigation and Prosecution (DCIAP), the arrested officers are suspected of being part of a criminal organization that utilized a temporary work agency to exploit vulnerable immigrants. The accusations against them include:

• Aiding illegal immigration
• Forgery
• Tax fraud
• Money laundering
• Intimidating workers to accept exploitative labor conditions
• Providing informal 'private security' to control illegal migrant workers on agricultural estates and in their housing
• Exploiting immigrants by charging for accommodation and food, and keeping them under coercion through threats, including physical assault

The DCIAP stated that the officers were allegedly paid to 'exercise control and surveillance over foreign workers' outside their official duties, thereby breaching their public functions. Victims, often in irregular situations, were reportedly led to believe that complaining to authorities would be futile due to the involvement of security forces.

Vulnerable Workers Trapped in Abusive Conditions

The alleged scheme preyed on the vulnerability of immigrants, who were promised legitimate employment but found themselves in dire conditions. Victims reportedly accepted jobs without formal contracts, earning wages 'below market rates for the tasks they performed' in labor-intensive agricultural sectors. The network's leaders allegedly deducted arbitrary sums for accommodation, transport, water, electricity, and documentation, while also withholding promised pay and tax payments. This tactic is common in human trafficking schemes, leaving migrants 'trapped' in their exploitative situations.