Forty-seven young footballers, including 36 minors, were rescued by Portuguese police in a raid on Monday June 12 against a human trafficking network linked to a training center in northern Portugal. The victims, men from countries in Africa, Asia and South America, were placed in institutions “under the protection of the State”. Two Portuguese and five companies were indicted as part of this operation, called “El Dourado”, during which several “passports and residence permits” were seized. According to local media, the victims were sequestered in the premises of the Bsports football academy, in Riba d’Ave, near Vila Nova de Famalicao (north). Players had to testify before a judge before returning to their home countries. One of the two indicted persons was identified by the media as Mario Costa, one of the officials of the Bsports academy and president of the general assembly of the Portuguese football league, a post from which he resigned on Wednesday, saying not to have committed any illegality.
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