According to a recent law enforcement investigations, the main sources of financing far-right groups in Portugal, some of which already many years are under observation is scrap, drug trafficking, weapons and prostitution.
However, unlike other extremist organizations, the Portuguese neo-Nazis often allowed the proceeds not for a common cause, and their own needs. “To trace this money is difficult because the skinheads — badly organized society. Most of the profit goes to them in the pocket or families,” said a police source. This information is confirmed by another source in law enforcement bodies: “in movement there is no financial discipline”. Private interests are often put above ideals.
The import cargo containers with scrap metal and iron — a very profitable business, which is often teetering on the brink of legality. Such activities are closely watched by law enforcement. Profit is not bad, given that to sell the material fails at a high price and taxation of such merchants leave. There is a suspicion that the inside of the containers also secretly brought drugs. The drug trade is more profitable business than selling scrap metal, but at the same time more risky, the losses were happening in the ranks of the skinheads. Aware of at least one member of the movement who was arrested and convicted for trafficking in cocaine: a few years ago he was caught with two kilos of cocaine at Lisbon airport on a flight arriving from Cape Verde.
Authorities fear that the Portuguese extremists will follow the example of many European neo-Nazi groups, among which common drugs and anabolic steroids.
It is believed that community of right-wing bikers (motards) in Spain is very actively involved in the sphere of purchase and sale of drugs.
Night underworld feels relatively freely, which contributes to the flourishing of narkodilerov and prostitution. “These people use their connections in the field of private security and protection night clubs for the purposes of trafficking and exploitation of women,” says another source, investigating the activities of neo-Nazis and other radicals.
Expresso it is known that at least three key figures of the far-right world for several years controlled the sites of sexual services.
One of them is associated with Eastern Europe, where he is looking for women in your case in Portugal. He has a solid track record of crimes related to prostitution.
Recently, the Portuguese police received the complaint on “associated with the Netherlands” website escort services “on a European scale”, which, I assume, led to one of the aforementioned individuals. For each woman a questionnaire with photos of where the specified phone number, as well as age, height, weight, eye color, nationality, language and appearance provide sexual services. Escortsite take in the region of 150 euros per hour for intimacy and 1200 overnight with a client, that is 10 hours. “We found this website, but so far there is no evidence that it belongs to the suspect. IP address is well protected,” — said a source close to the investigation.
Paramilitary training in Ukraine
A joint operation by counter-terrorism unit of the Criminal police of Portugal and the Department of investigation and prosecution (DIAP) of the Lisbon against groups “Hammerskins” (Hammerskins) is somewhat crippled her illegal activity. In June 27 suspects were charged with racial discrimination, attempted murder, possession of illegal weapons or the arms trade.
Firearms — another vending extremists a lesson. This is corroborated by a large number of weapons and ammunition seized during the operation. Speech including hunting rifles and automatic pistols with a calibre of 7.65 to 9 mm. But, apparently, considerable amounts of weapons are still in the wrong hands.
A few months ago, one of the most influential skinheads Portugal boasted in social networks shot where he fires his machine gun Uzi at the shooting range. On another photo he lifted the heavy snow. According to Expresso, in 2017, he was at the shooting range in Poland.
The following year he traveled several times to Ukraine, where he underwent paramilitary training at the battalion “Azov” — ultra-nationalists, who are fighting against Pro-Russian separatists in the East of the country. According to sources related to the investigation, Portuguese extremists, who studied in Ukraine, the possession of military weapons — following the example of many other neo-Nazis from across Europe — was “a few”. In total, could be three to eight people, but yet identified not all radicals who came to Ukraine to “Azov”.
“Hammerskins”, racism and violence
Authorities are anxiously looking for the neo-Nazi movement in Portugal. “Many of them are just professional criminals has never worked, except temporarily as security guards of night clubs. They are not going to change their way of life,” said a judicial police officer. Some sources consider them to be “quite disorganized”, at least in comparison with European radicals. Nevertheless, it is significant that in two of his last report mentions Europol activities “Hammerskins” and Blood & Honour in Portugal, which are among the major right-wing podgruppami of the country. “Strengthening the far-right in Europe is worrying. It is possible that the trend will spread to our country,” says a senior source in the security sphere.
According to the latest data of the General Prosecutor’s office of Portugal, there are an increasing number of complaints of discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence. In 2018 and 2019, there were almost two times more applications (106) than in 2016 and 2017 (for a total of 55 complaints had been filed). The vast majority, however, were archived.
At the same time in 2018 and 2019, no criminal charges have been filed.
In 2020, the State office of public Prosecutor managed to indict the already mentioned 27 members of the Portuguese “Hammerskins” for different crimes.
Gorprokuratury Portugal provides the organization with the following definition: “a Group of supporters of the supremacy of the white race over other races, advocates of exclusion from society of people belonging to other races and ethnic groups. Tied to criminal activities and violation of public order. Deals with incitement to harassment of representatives of these races with the use of physical violence, and also calls to indiscriminate use of weapons”. Europol a few weeks ago found out that the Portuguese “hammerskin”, “in spite of less successful mobilization of supporters and members,” organized in January of last year in Sintra, another “Meeting of the European inspectors” (European Officers Meeting). In March, the group initiated another meeting, this time in Lisbon. It was attended by different generations of skinheads, including members of the now defunct national action Movement (Movimento Nacional de for the cat), as well as ex-members associated with the right-wing radical gangs, such as “Hate” (Ódio) and “Iron guard” (Guarda de Ferro).
To become a full member of the Portuguese “Hammerskins”, sympathizers or potential participants (white candidates over 18 years of age) must undergo a rite of passage involving a beating of someone “not white” and/or “homosexual” and/or “leftist”.
At the hands of “Hammerskins” hit the Portuguese Augusto Pinheiro (Pinheiro Augusto). He was attacked by 20 September 2015 — he went from a rally held in one of concert halls in Lisbon. On the shoulder he carried the flag of the Portuguese Communist party. A supporter of “Hammerskins”, the prison warden threatened him. With the help of other road users he beat Augusto, after which he developed chronic neurological complications.
Two years before this November morning Wilson Neto (Neto Wilson) got out of the car. At this time there a car stopped in white, he was approached by a group of men. After a few minutes it hit “one after another the blows and kicks on different parts of the body.” In addition, he “was stabbed in the left thigh”. Wilson Neto managed to escape and go on the other side of the street, “where he fell exhausted beside the wall.” A group of attackers approached him and “began to punch and kick him, knifed in the stomach and chest strikes the wheel key on the left hand.”
The motive of the crime: Wilson black.
