At least four men considered by the police and the courts to be former leaders of drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro attended a party thrown by Rede Globo broadcaster to mark the end of the recording of a series.
Together, the quartet of former drug dealers totals 73 years of sentences.
The former inmates at the Globo event included Celso Rodrigues, known in the criminal world as Celsinho da Vila Vintém, the Rio favela between the neighborhoods of Padre Miguel and Realengo.
Known as the former leader of the criminal group Amigos dos Amigos (Friends of Friends) and with 52 criminal records, he was released in October of last year after 20 years in prison.
Known as Polegar (Thumb), Alexander Mendes is mentioned by the authorities as a former drug lord of Mangueira, another favela in the city of Rio de Janeiro, according to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
He was arrested twice for drug trafficking and association with trafficking.
Although he was sentenced to 22 years in prison, he left through the front door – first because of a favorable decision to open the regime and, at another moment, due to the declaration of the conviction extinguished by the Judiciary.
Of the gang present at Globo’s party, no one surpasses Nei da Conceição Cruz, known as Facão (Machete), in the total number of convictions: 26 years and ten months.
He was cited as a former Terceiro Comando Puro faction leader, imprisoned for 20 years, and paroled three months ago.
To not return to prison, he cannot leave the state of Rio de Janeiro and must maintain a lawful occupation.
Head of the drug dealers of the Nova Holanda favela, in the Complexo da Maré, for years, Amabílio Gomes Filho, also known as MB, is the one with the shortest conviction time among the former drug dealers that attended the party organized by Rede Globo.
He was sentenced to five years in prison.
So far, Globo has not commented on the presence of four former drug dealers at the party held on April 17.
Besides confirming that the former inmates were at the event, the founder of AfroReggae Audiovisual and producer of the series that motivated the realization of the party in question, José Júnior, praised the work of those who left the prison system.
He pointed out that the presence of these people in TV projects is common.
“Many of these former inmates work on our series.”
“The people in the photo have served their sentences, have not reoffended, and have the legal right to a second chance,” said Júnior.
With information from Revista Oeste