The Portugal Royal Police (PSP) has arrested 4 people in Almada's sprawling Penajoia settlement, a rapidly expanding illegal housing cluster that has tripled in size since the pandemic, now housing an estimated 2,000 residents in precarious conditions. The operation, launched at 7:00 AM on May 12, centered on attempted murder charges alongside drug seizures and immigration enforcement, underscoring the volatile intersection of Portugal's housing crisis and public security concerns in the Lisbon metropolitan area.
Why This Matters
• Serious violent crime: Four suspects face charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, illegal weapons possession, and unlicensed driving.
• Drug trafficking activity: Police seized over 200 doses of cocaine and hashish, alongside precision scales and €219 in cash.
• Immigration enforcement: 15 foreign nationals were checked, resulting in one deportation notice and one summons to Portugal's migration authority (AIMA).
• Housing pressure point: Penajoia has grown from a few dozen structures to 800-1,000 makeshift homes in three years, highlighting the acute shortage of affordable housing across the Setúbal district.
What Happened in the Raid
The PSP's Almada Division executed five search warrants in the Penajoia neighborhood, detaining multiple individuals though the exact total was not disclosed. Four arrests were made outside the context of catching suspects red-handed—meaning authorities had already identified the individuals through prior investigation.
The four named detainees are strongly suspected of attempted homicide, aggravated bodily harm, possession of a prohibited firearm, and driving without a license. The PSP's Setúbal District Command confirmed the operation unfolded in the Penajoia area, a settlement built illegally on land owned by Portugal's Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU).
Beyond the violent crime suspects, officers confiscated 31.45 doses of cocaine and 168.96 doses of hashish, a precision scale, four mobile phones, and €219 in cash—evidence pointing to street-level narcotics distribution operating within the settlement.
Traffic and Immigration Enforcement
The operation wasn't solely focused on violent crime. In a parallel sweep, PSP officers issued 6 traffic fines: three for expired mandatory vehicle inspections, two for driving without civil liability insurance, and one for mobile phone use behind the wheel. Authorities also seized a driver's license on suspicion it was forged and issued one notice requiring a driver to present missing documentation.
On the immigration front, 15 foreign nationals were checked. One person received a voluntary departure order requiring them to leave Portugal, while another was notified to report to the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA). A third individual was fined for failing to renew their residence permit—a common administrative violation as Portugal's immigration system faces chronic backlogs.
The Penajoia Problem: A Snapshot of Portugal's Housing Crisis
Penajoia sits at the sharp end of Portugal's affordable housing shortage. Originally a scattering of self-built shacks, the settlement has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by soaring rents and evictions across the Lisbon metro area. The number of structures has tripled in three years, with current estimates placing the population at 2,000 people living in 800 to 1,000 precarious dwellings.
Most residents are Cape Verdean and São Toméan immigrants, many displaced from other municipalities in the metropolitan region. The settlement lacks basic infrastructure: no sewage systems, no public water supply, no legal electricity. Illegal power taps—locally known as puxadas—siphon electricity from nearby grids, causing frequent blackouts in adjacent neighborhoods and even disrupting local radio stations.
The legal status of the land complicates any solution. The IHRU owns the terrain, yet responsibility for addressing the crisis has become a political football between the municipal government of Almada and the national housing institute. Almada's city hall has demanded state intervention and even filed a criminal complaint against the IHRU, accusing the institute of failing to prevent crimes on its property—including water and electricity theft, environmental violations, and illegal property sales (rooms reportedly sell for €300, houses for up to €650).
Meanwhile, the IHRU has attempted to contain the settlement's growth through demolitions of unfinished structures and fencing, but these measures have done little to slow the influx of families desperate for shelter.
Rising Crime and Resident Fears
Police operations in Penajoia have become more frequent. Residents of adjacent neighborhoods report a deteriorating sense of security, with concerns about violent crime and drug trafficking intensifying. The charges filed in this latest operation—attempted murder and aggravated assault—suggest more than petty crime. Investigators suspect organized criminal activity, including narcotics distribution networks using the settlement's ungoverned status as cover.
The presence of illegal firearms adds another layer of danger. Portugal's strict gun laws make possession of prohibited weapons a serious offense, typically linked to organized crime or violent disputes.
What This Means for Residents
For those living in or near Penajoia, the operation signals heightened police scrutiny but offers no long-term solution to the settlement's underlying problems. Residents face the constant threat of demolition without alternative housing, while neighboring communities endure infrastructure failures and rising crime.
For foreign nationals living in Portugal—whether legally or irregularly—the operation underscores the growing integration of immigration enforcement into routine policing. With AIMA struggling under a backlog of over 400,000 pending cases, even minor paperwork lapses can trigger deportation proceedings.
For the broader Almada and Setúbal region, Penajoia exemplifies the collision between housing scarcity and public order. Despite the IHRU's plans to deliver over 1,000 affordable rental units in Almada by 2026 under the national recovery plan, the pace of construction lags far behind demand. The institute has committed over €165M to the Almada Integrated Plan, targeting 1,169 homes, but interim solutions for settlements like Penajoia remain elusive.
The Broader Context
Penajoia is not unique. The nearby Segundo Torrão settlement in Trafaria houses over 3,000 people in similarly precarious conditions, while the Raposo neighborhood faces comparable challenges. Together, Penajoia and Raposo are estimated to shelter 2,500 to 3,000 people in nearly 1,000 structures.
Legalization of these settlements is nearly impossible due to land ownership disputes and environmental protection zones. Realistically, the only durable solution is mass rehousing, yet Portugal's social housing stock remains severely constrained. The tension between enforcement and humanitarian need continues to escalate, with no clear resolution in sight.
What Comes Next
The four suspects arrested for attempted murder and related offenses will face pre-trial hearings to determine whether they remain in custody. Drug trafficking charges typically carry sentences of 4 to 12 years under Portuguese law, while attempted murder can result in up to 25 years.
For Penajoia itself, the raid changes little structurally. The settlement will continue to grow as long as affordable housing remains out of reach for thousands of low-income families in the Lisbon metro. Until the IHRU, Almada's city government, and national policymakers coordinate a comprehensive response—combining rehousing, infrastructure investment, and enforcement—settlements like Penajoia will remain flashpoints for crime, displacement, and social tension.
