Lisbon, June 14, 2026 (Lusa) - The GNR police force arrested 66 people for drink-driving on the main roads leading into Lisbon over a four-hour period on Sunday, more than during a similar operation carried out in 2025 to coincide with the capital’s patron saint festival.

According to the GNR, between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, the authorities checked 2,989 drivers as part of a “special road enforcement operation” linked to Lisbon’s festivities, and 264 drivers showed blood alcohol levels above the limit.

Of these, 66 were detained for driving with a blood alcohol level of 1.2 grams per litre or higher, which is an offence.

The operation took place on the Vasco da Gama Bridge (Alcochete), on the A1 motorway (Alverca), on the A2 (Seixal), on the A5 (Oeiras), on the A8 (Loures), and on the IC20 (Almada), in the districts of Setúbal and Lisbon.

On 13 June 2025, authorities detained 47 people for drink-driving during an operation carried out on the same highways between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., which a GNR source told Lusa was comparable to the operation that took place this morning.

At the time, the force checked 2,598 drivers, according to the statement it released.

“Driving under the influence of alcohol significantly affects perception, risk assessment, reaction time and vehicle control, constituting one of the factors most frequently associated with the most serious road accidents,” the GNR warned.

In this year’s operation, authorities also arrested seven people for driving without a valid licence and five for other offences, including a 36-year-old individual “who was the subject of a European arrest warrant” to serve a sentence for drug trafficking.

“Authorities also drew up 236 reports for traffic offences,” the GNR added.

In total, 164 officers took part in this operation, coordinated by the National Traffic Unit.

IB/ADB // ADB.

Lusa