Police have arrested a 27-year-old man in Portimão suspected of a string of violent robberies, assaults and attempted extortion between late last year and April 2025.
According to PJ criminal police, the suspect – who acted with accomplices – targeted victims on the street and at a local nightclub, threatening them with a firearm before fleeing with cash and valuables. Seven victims have so far been identified.
In one attack, the man allegedly shot a victim in the knee, causing serious injury. In another, he attempted to extort money, stabbing the victim with a knife when the demand was not met, though without life-threatening consequences.
Police say the suspect had no fixed address or steady job, making him difficult to trace, until he was finally located with support from the PSP’s special intervention unit in Lisbon.
Investigators are now working to identify further possible victims and accomplices. The man will appear in court for questioning, where a judge will decide on precautionary measures.
