Portuguese authorities charge suspects in human trafficking cases

Portuguese law enforcement and prosecutors have brought charges in two separate human trafficking investigations involving labor exploitation.

In a coordinated European operation led by Europol and the European Labour Authority, the Judiciary Police identified nine foreign victims exploited in the Portuguese restaurant sector. Four Portuguese nationals—a woman, two men, and a company—have been formally charged following inspections conducted in mid-September. The broader international operation involved 34 countries and resulted in 27 arrests and the identification of 248 potential victims globally.

Separately, the Public Ministry of Coimbra has charged five Portuguese nationals for the long-term exploitation of two Portuguese citizens in Spain. Prosecutors allege the group operated a family-based structure between 2010 and 2025, forcing the victims to work 11 to 12 hours a day on agricultural farms in the Burgos region. The victims, described as having social and cognitive vulnerabilities, were allegedly housed in a former stable without heating, provided insufficient food, and deprived of freedom of movement. The suspects are accused of laundering money and misappropriating over 572,000 euros in wages and social benefits.