The police arrested 13 people this Monday (9) in the second phase of Operation Tourniquet, carried out in the Maré favela complex, north of Rio de Janeiro.
According to the published report, 68 vehicles were recovered and six rifles, two pistols, two grenades, cell phones and more than 150 kg of drugs were seized, in addition to the location of cloning points for luxury cars. Two criminals died in a confrontation with police, according to authorities.
Two women were injured during the action, one of them suffered a leg injury and was released and the other died on the way to the hospital. The Capital Homicide Police are investigating the cases.
Rio’s main expressways – the Yellow and Red lines and Avenida Brasil – suffered various impactsearly this Monday morning (9), as a result of the operation.
Investigations revealed theft of vehicles and cargo, cloning of vehicles for resale or exchange for weapons and drugs, dismantling of automobiles and the commission of other crimes in the communities. “We fight criminal factions that are responsible for 80% of vehicle thefts and 90% of cargo thefts. The stolen vehicle is a source of income. Stolen cargo has immediate liquidity. We act against the leaders, but much more to attack the finances of these organizations”, said the Secretary of the Civil Police, Felipe Curi.
The Secretary of Public Security, Victor dos Santos said that the operation aims to weaken criminal organizations. More than 600 civil and military police participated in the action.
During the operation in Maré, the Military Police, together with special forces, removed more than two tons of barricades from the streets, which prevent police teams from entering. “One of the biggest obstacles that police teams encounter today are the barricades, which prevent residents from having their basic right to travel,” said the Secretary of Military Police, Colonel Marcelo de Menezes.
