Residents of Complexo da Penha will be investigated by the Civil Police on suspicion of having removed camouflage clothing and causing fake knife wounds to the bodies of criminals who died during the mega-operation in Rio de Janeiro, which began this Tuesday (28).
The bodies of the militiamen were placed in a kind of line, which stretched across the entire José Rucas Road, one of the main roads in the region. Rumors from supposed human rights activist groups suggested that the knife marks and gunshots to the back of the head were signs of abuse and execution against residents.
In response, police officials called for an interview to show images that showed those killed in previous moments wearing camouflage clothing and bulletproof vests. Most of the clashes between police and criminals took place in a forested area at the top of the favelas, which would justify the use of the equipment.
During the press conference, the Secretary of the Civil Police, Felipe Curi, stated that the corporation has “images that show people removing these criminals from the forest and placing them on public roads, undressing them”, and added “I wouldn’t be surprised if they appeared with stab wounds to incriminate the police officers”.
The 22nd Police Station opened an investigation to determine the participation of residents in the removal of the bodies and tactical clothing from the corpses. According to Curi, in addition to an attempt to incriminate the agents, the exposure of the corpses distorted the work of the security forces.
Understand the case
The mega-operation by security forces in the Penha and Alemão Complexes, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, left 121 people dead, according to the most recent report released this Wednesday (29). Among the victims, 115 are suspected of involvement in drug trafficking and four are police officers.
The operation, considered the deadliest in Rio, mobilized 2,500 Civil and Military police officers and had the support of the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro. The objective was to dismantle the Red Command and serve 160 arrest warrants in communities controlled by the faction.
According to official data, 113 people were arrested, 33 from other states, in addition to 10 teenagers arrested. The teams also collected 118 weapons, including 91 rifles, 26 revolvers, a pistol and 14 explosive devices, in addition to tons of drugs and a large amount of ammunition.
