In a statement, the Faro District Command of the Public Security Police (PSP) indicated that the woman, an employee of a travel agency, allegedly issued “false documentation in absentia of the company for which she worked”, appropriating the respective values.

The alleged criminal activity “resulted in a diversion of funds amounting to €100,000”, causing damage to passengers and the travel agency itself, the police noted.

According to the PSP, the woman is indicted for the crime of fraud for the sale, "on a large scale, of fictitious travel tickets".

The arrest took place as part of an investigation carried out by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Portimão, after several passengers had reported the alleged fraud, which was detected upon arrival at the airports.

“On arrival at the airports, [the passengers] were informed by the airlines that the tickets they had purchased, destined for countries on the African continent and South America, were not valid and did not exist in the respective systems”.