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Traffickers Hide Drugs and Weapons in Rio Forests and Parks

06/19/2015 - 09h33

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MARCO ANTONIO MARTINS
FROM RIO

The structure resembles that of a campsite. There are tents, mattresses, small stoves and even stocks of insect repellent. Its users spend weeks in forests and parks in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Watch the video

However, these camping sites are organized by drug trafficking factions like the Red Command, that hide weapons and drugs in places such as the Tijuca Park, the largest urban forest in the world-and even mug tourists that visit the waterfalls nearby.

From there, they also plot break-ins into favelas or hide from the police.

The presence of traffickers in Rio's parks and forests has been occurring for about 20 years, but a new police investigation has resulted in the production of videos -which Folha had access to – showing what the criminals do and the structure used by them.

In one of the recent actions, the BOPE (the Special Operations Battalion of the Military Police) found 140 kilos of cocaine in a camp in the woods in São Gonçalo, in the metropolitan area of Rio.

The tactics of traffickers reminds that of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrilla group that for decades occupied the forests of that country.

In Rio, criminals take advantage of the many parks in the urban areas and surroundings. Most of these groups are in the Tijuca Forest, a tourist spot that annually receives 3 million visitors.

In one of the interventions filmed from a Civil Police helicopter, there were at least 30 suspects heading to a camp in this forest.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

Read the article in the original language

Divulgação/Bope
Traffickers hide drugs and weapons in Rio forests and parks
Traffickers hide drugs and weapons in Rio forests and parks

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