Yesterday, the GNR announced that, on Friday night, five hooded men had tried to steal the ATM from the Galp filling station on the EN-125 in Pêra, using a white Ford to smash the glass door of the establishment, but they failed to carry out the crime because the ATM was fixed to the floor.

A similar attempt to steal a cash machine was made the same night in Albufeira by five hooded men, but they once again failed to steal the machine, the GNR press release added, saying that the cases were being investigated to find out who the perpetrators were.

In parallel, the security force announced that it had arrested nine people in the Algarve on Friday, including an 18-year-old man with a prohibited weapon, and another aged 46 with three hunting rifles, during an operation of road checks, controls of foreigners and combating criminality.

The police operation led to the arrest in Loulé of a Portuguese man aged 46 with three hunting rifles, an air rifle, a knife and some stolen drinks.

The arrested man has a criminal record and has already completed a 16-year prison sentence for armed robbery and theft, and came out of prison in September last year.

An 18-year-old man was arrested in Tavira for being in possession of knuckledusters, a prohibited weapon, the press release said.

The press release added that the remaining detainees were either driving under the influence of excessive alcohol or were driving vehicles without a licence.