You couldn't make it up.

Have the local enforcement officers got nothing better to do.

http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/twe ... game/28705

Well that's put an end to getting rid of the mother in law on a Friday night for the local pub quiz.

Just been interview with the bar owner on British radio BBC Radio 4.
Lived here 25 years heard some stories but think this the best yet re undercover police.

Those whom have been fined and presumably now have criminal records could take this up with their respective British and Irish consulates and they 'may' intervene. It is like crushing a grape with a jackhammer!

Two and eight 28? If this goes on two fat ladies will be replaced by two handcuffs 88!

Obviously, Bingo is a terrible menace blighting many peoples lives and is a bigger scourge than drugs!

All for a tin of biscuits!

Beware, undercover officers are difficult to spot in Ex-pat bars.

The owner of the bar said that the two men that later turned out to be undercover officers were just having a Hobnob at the bar with a Bourbon each.

She said that amongst those who arrested were Gary Baldi and Lionel Rich Tea along with a Ginger Nut who she didn't know, all of them were taken on a Double Decker which was not very Nice. One client who tried to make a Breakaway, ate his biscuit before being arrested said they haven't got a crumb of evidence against me, he was later released without charge - the Jammy Dodger.

The whole incident has left clients with a nasty taste in their mouths, and they felt that the officers were taking the biscuit.

Well it is hard to digestive all that information in!

Their cards are marked, that's for sure.

" gets coat "

Craig

only just catching up with this;

people in the bar, not playing bingo, having a quiet drink, €150 fine & a suspended jail sentence!

bodes well for the summer doesn't it?

This story has just been on GMTV with interviews with bar owner and a gentleman who was only watching the rugby and got caught up in it all. Portuguese Embassy in London issued a statement saying that it hoped this singular incident wouldn't put people off coming to Portugal

The Portuguese partner of the owner was interviewed on PT tv yesterday. It has also been reported that the bar had been under observation for some time so it was not a " one off " illegal game of bingo.
The prizes shown in the interview on PT tv were expensive bottles of spirits not cheap biscuits.
None of this excuses the GNR over reaction as far as the customers was concerned but does perhaps suggest that there was more to ths than initially broadcast by the UK media.

EMM wrote:The Portuguese partner of the owner was interviewed on PT tv yesterday. It has also been reported that the bar had been under observation for some time so it was not a " one off " illegal game of bingo.
The prizes shown in the interview on PT tv were expensive bottles of spirits not cheap biscuits.
None of this excuses the GNR over reaction as far as the customers was concerned but does perhaps suggest that there was more to ths than initially broadcast by the UK media.

What I don't understand is why the Albufeira GNR wanted to display the bingo machine, bingo cards and 250€ in crisp new notes that they had allegedly seized, but failed to show the prizes that they took.
The total amount of cash seized according to the court was also 50€ not 250€ as the picture tries to portray.

The owner also openly stated that they had held bingo events for some time, not the "one off", and the expensive spirits!!! were normal everyday bottles of spirits not bottles of XO cognac and rare malt whiskey.

Hmm now where's that bottle of Cava I won last winter in the Friday quiz night, better drink the evidence quickly.

It seems extremely unfair to arrest the customers. Its not unreasonable to assume the place you are in has all the paperwork and things in order for whatever activity you're paying for. If you rented a jet ski would you go check it was legal to use it from that marina? Or if you hired a car would you demand to phone the insurance company and check the policy was valid? Or maybe ask to see a live music license before you had a go on a pub karaoke?

If the bar owner has any morals, she will pay these fines that she managed to get everyone. Busting her was fair game, she obviously should have known better.

Well said Octopus, althoug I doubt that the bar owners who had been running these for profit games and benefited from the extra drink sales that resulted will think that way.

Because of the adverse publicity this has generated the GNR may in future be less vigilant or turn a three-o Blind thirty, eye to it!

If this heavy handed approach continues with the farce of innocent residents/holidaymakers being dragged to court and fined it will really setback the tourist industry and well as making a total mockery of the Portuguese authorities,