Concerns among readers who have been victims of theft in the Algarve about reclaiming possessions recovered by the authorities have led to the Algarve Resident contacting the region’s GNR police for clarification on the correct procedures.
Major Edmundo EmÍlio from the GNR said: “In the case of robbery, if it is possible to identify the owner of the recovered object, because it was mentioned in the police report, then it is given back.”
He added that in cases where the rightful owners cannot be identified, then the objects are handed over to the local court of the area where the robbery took place.
“In the case of items recovered by the GNR from robberies, these are handed directly back to their rightful owners as long as they can prove that they are theirs.”
To see recovered objects at court, a request has to be made. In the case of lost and found items, a website has been created where it is possible to search for lost items that have not yet been reclaimed.
This website is only available in Portuguese at http://perdidoseachados.mai.gov.pt
