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A militia investigated for exploiting merchants in Madureira, in the north of Rio, expanded its form of action after associating with drug traffickers and even government officials, according to the Civil Police. The group was the subject of an operation today, with the fulfillment of 46 search and seizure orders at the headquarters of the Rio City Council, the Municipal Guard and the City Council.
According to the investigation, the gang began exploring shopping malls, supermarkets and parking lots. The group is suspected of being involved in nine homicides in the past two years. Among them, the murder of a man who would have refused to pay a fee of only R $ 5.
According to the police, the group rose to R $ 90,000 per week with irregular charges, being R $ 15,000 the weekly amount charged to the manager of a shopping center in Madureira.
They [milicianos] they began to extort money from street vendors. When they joined the traffic, they began to explore shopping mall, supermarket, factory, parking … And there was no parameter to kill. A victim died because he did not pay R $ 5. It became a great western
Maurício Demétrio, delegate responsible for the investigation
The investigation, the deployment of Operation Esculhambação in April 2019, identified the actions of a group suspected of threatening, coercing and extorting victims. According to the Civil Police, the group forced merchants to pay weekly rates of up to R $ 250 for the stock of products in the places determined by the criminal organization.
According to the delegate, the militiamen killed a merchant only because he did not pay a fee of only R $ 5 to store a case of beer; the identity of the victim was not disclosed.
In addition to this case, the Civil Police are investigating other homicides, such as the murder of a witness and two other people due to a dispute over territorial control. These investigations are confidential. One of the victims even denounced the municipal guard who worked in the office of Councilor Vera Lins to the Civil Police and the MP-RJ (Rio Prosecutor’s Office). Twelve days later, she ended up being murdered.
The group is investigated by DRCPIM (Commissariat for Crimes against Immaterial) for crimes of conspiracy, criminal organization, corruption and money laundering. Operation Brutus is a reference to the rival of the Popeye cartoon character, nickname Genivaldo Pereira das Neves, designated by the police as the leader of the gang.
Agents even seized military uniforms
In the action, which had the support of 150 civilian police, search and seizure orders were carried out at the Municipal Finance Secretariat (located at the Rio City Council headquarters), at the Madureira Municipal Guard headquarters and at the office of Councilor Vera Lins – a municipal guard, posted in her office until May 2019, is among the targets of the investigation. The councilor is not investigated.
Two people were arrested, one under arrest warrant and one on the spot for possession of ammunition. The identity of the suspects has not been released. The agents seized 12 tons of material without fiscal origin. They found two weapons, pistol holders, rifle and ammunition, ballistic vests and even military uniforms.
Mixed region and impunity
The businesses in Madureira were “awarded” by those involved in the scheme, which had the collaboration of public servants, the investigations indicate.
Agents also caught the presence of group members from the public at the launch of Present Security in January. The event was attended by then-Governor Wilson Witzel (PSC), who has been out of office since August on suspicion of participating in a corruption scheme. According to investigations, the militiamen greeted the agents, showing intimacy.
“Our police officers heard one of them say: ‘Now it’s all ours.’ There was no urban control in that area,” says police chief Maurício Demétrio.
What those mentioned say
By note, the defense of Vera Lins denied the councilor’s relationship with the operation, information confirmed by the Civil Police, and assured that the suspect server “was returned to his original body almost two years ago.” “This is another attempt to interfere with the electoral process,” said attorney James Walker Junior.
Also in a note, the Municipal Guard said that it is at the disposal of the Civil Police to collaborate with the investigations and will open an investigation to investigate the complaint that involves officials. The Municipal Finance Secretariat, for its part, says it disapproves of employee misconduct and that the police are available to assist with the investigation.
