Police Operations against Clandestine Parties Uses Undercover Agents
Locations caught by the task force receive fines that reach millions of reais
"Attention, the task force will leave on time. We are already inside the party, which has some 250 people without masks, a live show, DJ, general crowding, everyone standing, dancing. We will need a quick arrival to enter the place," says the message on WhatsApp.
The author of the message, sent to representatives of the public power, was the congressman and actor Alexandre Frota (PSDB). For five months, he has been participating onan SP government task force against clandestine parties that has already caught football players and secret get-togethers with tickets worth thousands of reais.
After entering politics in the wake of Bolsonaro’s rise and later breaking with President Jair Bolsonaro (no party), the congressman approached Governor João Doria (PSDB) and began to embody the figure of sheriff of clandestine parties during the pandemic. The media operations involve dozens of people, from police officers to health surveillance agents, including people infiltrating the events.
Everything is surrounded by an aura of mystery, and the so-called advanced teams communicate only with the deputy. In total, there are five teams working in pairs.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon