Five men were arrested in Almancil, Loulé (Algarve) last week on suspicion of being responsible for a spate of thefts and burglaries from luxury homes in the Algarve and Setúbal.
The group is thought to be responsible for thefts from villas in the Algarve which amount to 100,000 euros.
Police believe the five suspects are part of a much larger organised unit that operates across the country.
Since the New Year, 17 people have been detained by police on similar charges in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, and are believed to be connected to each other.
A statement released by the GNR on Wednesday said criminal investigators from Loulé spurred the action at Lisbon airport as part of an ongoing probe connected to last week’s arrests in Almancil.
Authorities opened the parcels and found 190 pieces of jewellery and precious metals, 50 watches, a coin collection, ten ladies’ purses, five bottles of perfume, three video game consoles, a tablet, a camera, a religious image and various items of clothing and footwear.
The GNR said: “The seized goods are presumably associated with the criminal activity carried out by the group in national territory.”