Lisbon, July 29, 2026 (Lusa) - Guinea-Bissau is one of the main destinations in Africa for vehicles stolen in Portugal and other European countries, Colonel António Quadrado, the internal affairs ministry's liaison officer at the Portuguese Embassy in Bissau, warned on Wednesday.

The Portuguese police officer's warning was reported in the Guinea-Bissau media and came during a handover ceremony organised by the African country's Judicial Police (PJ) for four vehicles allegedly stolen in Portugal and recovered in Guinea-Bissau.

«Most of the vehicles arrive in the country through fraud schemes. The suspects hire the vehicles in Portugal and subsequently transport them to Guinea-Bissau,» noted Colonel António Quadrado.

In addition to Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia and Senegal are other destinations for vehicles stolen in Europe, added the Portuguese police officer.

The four vehicles were handed over by Cristiano Cancola, an inspector with the Guinea-Bissau Judicial Police (PJ), who took the opportunity to discourage the purchase of vehicles of dubious origin, warning that many buyers end up losing the vehicles due to a lack of purchase documentation.

*** The Lusa news agency's bureau in Guinea-Bissau has been suspended since August following the government's expulsion of representatives from Portuguese media organisations. Coverage is being provided remotely ***

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