Anti-Terrorism Coordination Unit now operates continuously – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
 

The Unit Antiterrorism Coordination (UCAT), which brings together elements of the secret, PJ, PSP, GNR, SEF and Maritime Police, will go to work permanently, following rules approved Thursday by the Council of Ministers . The unit will have a permanent team, with an element of each of the forces and security services, organized in shifts to ensure its functioning 24 hours a day.

“With this regulatory decree what aims is strengthen operational support to this structure, which already exists, works and brings together all the forces and security services, “said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Constance Sousa Urban, at the press conference after the Council of Ministers.
strengthening UCAT was one of the measures provided for in the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, adopted in 2015. the unit was created in 2003 within the former Security Coordination Office, later replaced by the Internal Security System, led currently the secretary general Helena Farm.

Currently, UCAT meets weekly and extraordinarily whenever it is necessary. With the regulation, the structure starts to function “more efficiently and permanently” with its enhanced performance, said Constance Sousa Urban.

“The UCAT already existed informally worked in sharing information, but at this point what you want is to institutionalize and give substance to a structure, to pursue such activity, but permanently reinforced and another level of training, not only for the collection and sharing of information, as well as the level of implementation monitoring of the various plans that exist in the fight against terrorism, “said the Justice Minister Frances Van Dunem, at the press conference.

Francisca Van Dunem explained that” there is no indication that there threat, but the government is working to strengthen the training of security forces and services for this area of ​​terrorism, “he said. Guaranteed even if there is “articulation and absolute harmony between the Justice and Home Affairs in this matter.”

In a report released on Wednesday, the European Police Office (Europol) warned of the “repeated threats” of the Islamic State (EI) to Portugal and Spain and found that similar attacks on November, in Paris, can occur in “the near future” in the European Union.