A massive nationwide police operation resulted in the detention of just five individuals despite officers stopping and searching hundreds of citizens in urban centres overnight.
The sweep, described by authorities as a proactive measure to ensure public order, involved intercepting 542 vehicles and conducting personal checks on 213 passengers. Despite the scale of the intervention into public movement, the operation yielded only five arrests, primarily for drug possession and immigration status.
Further intrusive measures included the inspection of 32 private premises, which resulted in only four reports of unspecified violations.
While the force categorised the high-visibility patrols as a success for public safety, the bulk of the evening’s activity shifted toward traffic citations rather than criminal prevention. Of the hundreds of people engaged by police, 132 received traffic fines, including 46 for speeding and 16 for driving over the alcohol limit. Seven vehicles were seized during the process.
The Police stated that these coordinated operations will continue daily with an “increased and reinforced” presence, intended to suppress crime through targeted checks and immediate operational action across the Republic.