An Irish man in his late teens is in custody in the resort town of Albufeira in Portugal after several Dutch tourists were stabbed following a dispute in an apartment complex.
The incident occurred at about 4.30am on July 29th in the Praia da Oura area of the popular coastal town in the Algarve region.
It is understood a group of young Irish tourists became frustrated by the loud music emerging from an apartment in their complex which contained a number of Dutch teenagers. The Irish men were on a higher floor with the Dutch further below.
It is understood a dispute arose between the two groups with four of the Dutch men sustaining serious injuries.
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The 19-year-old Irish man was arrested on Wednesday after the judicial police finished their initial investigation in to the incident.
It is not known if subsequent arrests will follow.
Police have the described the incident as being “intense and violent.” No injuries were reported in relation to the Irish men.
Meanwhile, Portugal News, which is an English language newspaper, has reported that a tourism behaviour campaign has been launched in Albufeira.
Mayor Jose Carlos Rolo told the publication the local authority is working on several fronts with a view to “disciplining” behaviours in public spaces, so that “the good image of Albufeira is restored, both to the satisfaction of residents and tourists.
Mr Rolo said generalisations should not be made as “the behaviour of some cannot be taken as a reflection of the identity of any country”.
Video surveillance cameras are being installed in Albufeira whilst surveillance by the municipal police has also been stepped up in the areas of Oura and the “downtown” part of the city.
A draft amendment to the municipal noise regulation is being reviewed and a behavioural awareness campaign is being carried out using billboards, flyers and stickers.
The roll-out of the campaign is unrelated to the incident involving Irish tourists as it has been in planning for some time.
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