Young man arrested on suspicion of arson in Valpaços

The Judicial Police (PJ) identified and arrested a 21-year-old man who is “strongly suspected of being the author of a forest fire, which occurred on the afternoon of July 11, in a forested area located in the municipality of Valpaços.

In a statement, the PJ, through the Vila Real Criminal Investigation Department, reveals that the fire “consumed an area made up mostly of scrubland, putting a vast forested area at risk”, also made up of “scrubland and trees, as well as some houses, of considerably high value”, adding that they were only “not consumed due to the rapid detection and subsequent intervention of the fighting resources, namely the firefighters”.

The detainee will be brought before a judicial interrogation to apply the appropriate coercive measures.

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