The sentence reading takes place, at 3pm, in the Auditorium of the Rectory of the University of Coimbra, after much of the trial took place at the Faculty of Law, due to the covid-19 pandemic, in order to ensure the physical distance between defendants , lawyers, assistants and judges.

The 13 defendants are accused by the Public Ministry of belonging to a group that reportedly carried out more than 80 thefts between September 2016 and December 2017, when the operation stopped after three of the main suspects were arrested by the Judicial Police (PJ), when they returned for another assault.

The robberies took place in several districts, such as Lisbon, Setúbal, Santarém, Évora, Beja, Leiria, Coimbra, Porto and Braga, in an action that resorted to explosions to rob ATM machines, according to the accusation that the Lusa agency had access to.

Before thefts, members "carefully selected ATMs", trying to understand the make and model of the terminal, through debit card movement queries.

For the assault, the group resorted to previously stolen cars and used license plates also stolen and corresponding to other vehicles, says the Public Ministry (MP).

At the scene, it was customary for defendants to spray video cameras on recording circuits, take several pieces of clothing with them to change after the crime was committed, and used portable radio transmitters / receivers so as not to use mobile phones, the MP alleges.

According to the prosecution, for the assault, in addition to the material necessary for the theft, such as acetylene gas cylinders and hoses, they were also equipped with firearms, such as revolvers and AK-47 rifles, as well as fire extinguishers that could sprinkle against the police vehicles in case of persecution.

The companions of two of the main members of the group mediated contacts with other members and hid items used in the robberies, normally using the four garages they had in Loures, Oeiras, Cascais and Alcobaça.

The group's action ended when, after a theft in Torres Novas, they arrived at the Alcobaça warehouse with the money, and were intercepted by elements from the PJ and GNR, who ended up detaining them.

The three main members of the group are accused of several crimes of theft, possession of a prohibited weapon, forgery of documents, explosion, receipt and money laundering.