According to the statement, the woman was arrested this Tuesday by the PJ's National Counter-Terrorism Unit, which was activated following a complaint, and was held in preventive detention.
The suspect, aged 40, was arrested as she tried to enter Portugal with a 15-year-old Angolan national and the suspect had been involved for several years in "transporting and placing dozens of Angolan minors in Europe, using various types of false documentation for this purpose", explained the PJ.
The police suspect that the detained woman made dozens of trips and received around 4000 dollars for each minor she managed to bring from Angola to Portugal, making "this activity her way of life, with the obtaining of high financial profits". For now, the number of children and young people who have been victims of the crime of child trafficking is unknown.
Regarding the 15-year-old who traveled with the woman, the PJ explained that the minor had a single Portuguese travel document, which allowed him to enter Portugal and obtain Portuguese documents. With Portuguese documentation, you could travel within the Schengen Area.
After authorities verified the minor's true identity, he was sent to an institution that supports minors who are victims of human trafficking.
At this time, the investigation continues so that the Judicial Police can determine how many minors were victims of this crime and taken from Angola to Portugal, where they are and if there are more suspects related to this crime.
