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Costumam-se impor sanções graves por qualquer infração.

Costumam-se impor sanções graves por qualquer infração.
Severe sanctions are usually imposed for any infraction.
From Lesson 487:Passive with modal verbs (se)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Costumam-se impor sanções graves por qualquer infração.

Why is the verb costumar plural (costumam) if the passive se is used?
This is the passive se. In these constructions, the thing receiving the action is grammatically the subject. Because sanções graves (severe sanctions) is plural, the conjugated helping verb must also agree and be plural: costumam. If it were a single sanction, it would be Costuma-se impor uma sanção.
Could I attach the se to the second verb instead, like Costumam impor-se?
Yes! When you have a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive, European Portuguese generally allows the pronoun to attach to either verb. Both Costumam-se impor and Costumam impor-se are completely correct.
Why use costumam instead of just an adverb like geralmente or normalmente?
While you could say Normalmente impõem-se, using the verb costumar followed by an infinitive is a very native-sounding way to express that something usually or customarily happens. It acts as an auxiliary verb of habit.
Why is the preposition por used here instead of para?
We use por to indicate the cause, reason, or motive behind an action. The sanctions are imposed because of the infraction. If you used para, it would incorrectly sound like the sanctions were created for the future purpose or benefit of the infraction.

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