Operation seizes 28 mobile phones and drugs across four Rio de Janeiro prisons
The Penal Police conducted searches across four prison units in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, seizing 28 mobile phones and approximately one kilogramme of drugs.
Operation Illicitus targets faction communication in Rio prison facilities
The Penal Police seized 28 mobile phones and approximately one kilogramme of drugs across four prison units in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday (9), according to cnnbrasil.com.br. The searches were conducted at Romeiro Neto Prison in Magé; Edgar Costa Prison Institute in Niterói; Talavera Bruce Penitentiary in Bangu; and Nelson Hungria Prison in the Gericinó Complex.
The actions are part of Operation Illicitus, which began in August with a focus on combating organised crime within the prison system and interrupting communication between imprisoned gang members and those remaining at liberty.
Since the operation began, over 700 mobile phones and more than nine kilogrammes of drugs have been seized in prison facilities throughout the state. During the same period, 12 visitors were detained whilst attempting to bring prohibited materials into the units, and two penal officers were caught during the operations.
According to the Rio de Janeiro State Penal Police Secretariat (Seppen), permanent targets of the operations include detainees, visitors and penal officers who may be involved in or who facilitate illegal practices within the units. The operations are conducted systematically, with integrated action from the Operational and Intelligence sub-secretariates, in addition to the institution's Office of the Inspector-General.
The searches also employ technological resources, such as body scanners, to identify prohibited materials at the entrance to the units. Seppen states that the objective is to weaken organised crime's operations within the prison system and strengthen security in state penitentiary facilities.
Source: Google News BR — Crime