Police and Army go into Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro

Police operations trying to contain the violence wave in Rio continued throughout this Sunday. Police had been undertaking an operation on the area known as Complexo do Alemão --a slum complex situated in Penha, in Rio's north zone-- since the morning.

See the map of violence in Rio

Since last Sunday (21st) a wave of attacks and arson attacks against buses and cars has taken over different points of the state of Rio de Janeiro. By late Sunday afternoon 106 vehicles had been burned.

Security authorities say the criminal actions are the drug trade's response to the establishment of UPPs (Pacifying Police Units) in slums and hillside shantytowns.

	Sérgio Moraes/Reuters
	Police puts Brazil's flag on the top of a slum complex situated in Rio's north zone; see more pictures

In an attempt to control the violence, Rio's police has been undertaking raids in communities with the help of Armed Forces personnel. Since the start of the wave of violence 50 people have died in police raids.

According to numbers presented, more than 20 people have been detained by Rio state Military Police during this Sunday's operations.

Police raids in Complexo do Alemão led the police forces to capture 7 tons of marijuana.

Rio de Janeiro's Security Secretary, José Mariano Beltrame, said tonight that "Rio has a fight against crime, which is composed of several battles, but if we did not win the war, I'm sure we won the most difficult battle".

Interviewed in the office of the Public Security Department of Rio, Beltrame said that "the Alemão was the heart of evil and an iconic place for all of Rio de Janeiro, where we had a convergence of marginal ammunition. So I think this is a victory for the police, and, for the marginals, it's a moral loss."