Miguel Arruda sold the stolen items through an online marketplace.

A Portuguese far-right politician has been expelled from his party after being accused of stealing suitcases from multiple airports, according to Portuguese media.

Local media reports indicate that Miguel Arruda was questioned by police at Lisbon airport on Tuesday and later charged with theft after 14 of the missing luggage were reportedly discovered at his home on the Azores Islands.

The 40-year-old, a friend with notorious Nazi activists, first denied any wrongdoing, telling journalists that he “was being crucified” for political reasons, but later admitted one instance of “misappropriation by mistake.”

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Chega leader André Ventura announced on Thursday, following a meeting with Arruda, that given the circumstances, he could not allow him to remain in the party’s parliamentary group.

Despite the allegations, Arruda has chosen to remain in parliament as an independent and has requested the lifting of his parliamentary immunity – a PR move that has no legal consequences unless his colleagues strip him of immunity at the request of the law-enforcing authorities.

During Friday’s parliamentary session, members of his former party, Chega, booed him, while Assembly chairman José Pedro Aguiar-Branco instructed him to sit at the back of the chamber, where unaffiliated lawmakers are typically placed.

According to local media, security footage allegedly shows Arruda retrieving his suitcase from the baggage carousel along with a second, smaller one, which he then appeared to place inside his own.

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In his defense, Arruda suggested the footage could have been manipulated using artificial intelligence.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor-general’s office confirmed that an investigation was underway but stated that the case was unrelated to Arruda’s official parliamentary duties.

Police also found that Arruda had sold the contents of the stolen suitcases through an online marketplace.

It’s unclear whether stealing luggage is a hobby, a kleptocratic habit, or a necessity – the lawmaker is alleged to have accrued at least €50,000. His salary as a member of parliament amounts to €6,000 a month; now that he is independent the government is expected to pay him an additional €5,800 for personal assistants and office rent.

Sources: Politico Portugal, Sabado, NowCanal

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