The Civil Police and Military Police secretariats of Rio de Janeiro reported having arrested 13 people during new phase of Operation Tourniquetheld this Tuesday (3) in Complexo da Penha, in the north of the capital of Rio de Janeiro. According to the two departments, the objective was to find drug traffickers involved in cargo and vehicle thefts.
The balance presented also shows that 114 search and seizure warrants were executed at addresses linked to Comando Vermelho, a faction that operates in the region. The operation involved a large mobilization of the state’s public security structures. Around 900 agents were deployed.
The identity of those arrested was not revealed. The operation also included the involvement of the Specialized Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), from the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ). There were impacts on public services, with the closure of schools and health centers and the interruption of circulation on some bus lines. The Commission for the Defense of Human Rights and Citizenship of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj) even expressed its concern about the damage to the daily lives of community residents.
Earlier, shootings were reported and at least six people were injured, including a 22-year-old woman who was at a bus stop and was hit in the back. She underwent emergency surgery at Getúlio Vargas State Hospital and her condition is serious. A pensioner and a bricklayer’s assistant who were also shot have already been discharged. According to the Civil Police and Military Police secretariats, a criminal who was injured in the confrontation was taken to a hospital, but did not resist and died.
“In total, 13 people were arrested, 23 vehicles were recovered, more than 1 ton of drugs were seized, a financial crimes center and a drug refining site were busted. There was also the seizure of disassembled rifle parts, chargers, tactical clothing, cell phones and traffic notes”, records a note released by the two departments.
Previous phases of Operation Turnstile involved actions in Baixada Fluminense and also in other states. According to investigations, the Penha Complex would have become the operational base of the Red Command. Vehicle and cargo thefts would help finance the criminal organization. With the resources raised, the traffickers make it possible to purchase weapons and ammunition and also pay an “allowance” to the relatives of imprisoned members of the faction. Furthermore, leaders operating in the Penha Complex would be behind orders to attack rival organizations, seeking to expand their territories.
“Civil police officers from Pará and Ceará also participated in the operation. The investigations revealed the strong migration of criminal leaders from those states to Rio de Janeiro, with the majority of them hiding in the Penha Complex”, adds the note.
