Meet the politician turned airport thief
28 January 2025
What's the strangest crime a politician committed in your country? Well, in Portugal, we just got a strong contender. Meet Miguel Arruda, an Azorean deputy for Chega, Portugal's far-right party. With his family still on the island, the politician divided his life between Açores and the capital, Lisbon.
During his flights between the two locations, streetwise Arruda decided to make the most of his time in the airport, revealing himself as a shrewd businessman. He's accused of stealing suitcases from the airport whenever he travelled and selling the contents of the bags on Vinted, the web platform for second-hand clothes.
 | Marta Tuna Given the authorities have security videos of him in the airport (which he claims are AI-generated) and have found the suitcases in his offices, it seems an easy investigation. However, Arruda enjoys parliamentary immunity – meaning he can't be detained or be heard in court. While his immunity hasn't been lifted yet, Arruda has left the party, discharged himself from official duties, and returned to the Azores indefinitely. This is probably his last opportunity to do a wholesale on Vinted with what's left of the loot. |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.