At least 157 arrested in mega-operation against criminal gangs in Brazil
At least 157 people were arrested yesterday in Brazil in a mega-operation by security forces against criminal gangs operating in the country, including leaders of Brazil’s two largest criminal factions, police sources reported today.
The operation was carried out by the National Group for the Fight against Organized Crime (GNCOC), linked to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in 13 Brazilian states. Of the 157 detainees, 37 were arrested for drug trafficking or carrying firearms and ammunition.
Among those arrested were leaders of the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (Comando Vermelho), Brazil’s two largest criminal factions.
According to the GNCOC, a PCC member was arrested in the state of Parana, considered a leader with operations throughout the country and who collected data on trials and transgressions of the faction’s rules.
Red Command leaders were arrested in Pará and Acre. Other leaders were also arrested in the states of Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Goiás, and Rio Grande do Sul.
So far, 12 weapons (pistols, rifles, and revolvers), 163 cartridges, 10 kilograms of drugs, 125,000 reais in cash, 11 vehicles, telephones, and documents with notes on the organization and the structure of the factions have been seized.
The mega-operation, coordinated by the GNCOC, was carried out in 13 states to dismantle violent criminal organizations operating both in the prison systems and on the streets of the country, make arrests, and gather evidence.
The operation was carried out simultaneously in the states of Acre, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rondônia, Pará, Paraná, São Paulo, Sergipe, and Tocantins.
According to Mario Sarrubbo, who chairs the GNCOC and is a prosecutor for the state of Sao Paulo, all the material seized will be used to fuel future operations against drug factions.
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This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief