During the months of September and October, the GNR developed several inspection actions in order to prevent illegal races, dangerous maneuvers on public roads and dangerous driving crimes in the district of Leiria.

The commander of the Leiria Transit Detachment, Rui Costa, told Lusa that the illegal races took place, mainly on highway 19 (A19), next to the Leiria shopping centre, and on the A8, between Leiria and Pataias and Tornada and Caldas da Rainha.

Following several reports of illegal races and “amusement maneuvers, where there is usually a large concentration of people”, the GNR carried out “several inspection actions”, which resulted in the arrest of 11 people.

The detainees will have committed crimes of driving under the influence of alcohol - equal to or greater than 1.2 grams per liter of blood (g\l) - dangerous vehicle driving, lack of legal license, vehicle tampering and forgery of documents.

Fifteen vehicles were also seized for presenting transformations and alterations related to the "substantial increase in their power", and "five of them are impounded to be subjected to extraordinary periodic inspection, given the complexity of their transformation".

The police also filed 155 administrative offenses for "transformation/alteration of its constructive characteristics, driving with a rate of less than 1.2 g/l of alcohol in the blood, dangerous maneuvers and disregard for traffic signs, among others".

This inspection aimed to "prevent and repress this type of phenomenon that jeopardises the road safety of all who use the public road, as well as to raise awareness of compliance with the rules for approval of vehicles, components, systems or accessories, thus seeking to ensure that the circulation of these vehicles is carried out in a safe and supervised manner”.