Military Police Dragnet Kills 7 at Rio de Janeiro Favelas

On Tuesday, Military Police eliminated seven people and injured five during a large-scale dragnet to capture the leaders of a criminal network in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

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Authorities made five arrests and seized a substantial amount of drugs in the operation launched in the early hours of the day in the shanty towns of Alemao, Mare, and Penha.

Officials also targeted other nearby favelas controlled by the so-called Red Command, one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil with strongholds in Rio de Janeiro.

Suspected members of the drug trafficking rings threw up barricades and burned tires when the police arrived, while officers closed access points to the favelas to prevent them from escaping.

During the early hours of the morning, police officers laid siege to several favelas to try to arrest the Red Command leaders, "who would be responsible for the recent territorial disputes and armed conflicts in the state," outlet Brasil de Fato reported, adding that the dragnet had managed to seize 7 rifles, 3 pistols, 8 radiocommunicators and 2 stolen vehicles.

Four of the suspects died aboard a stolen vehicle ambushed by the police, and the other three were killed in a shootout with officers. Two police officers were among the five who were injured and taken to nearby hospitals.

Due to the police operation, over 20,000 local students did not go to school, with the clashes disrupting public transit in the area.