Police rescue six victims from criminal gang's 'crime tribunal' in Primavera do Leste (MT)
Six people held in illegal detention have been rescued by the Civil Police in Primavera do Leste, MT. Five suspects were arrested at the location.
Six victims rescued from criminal faction's 'crime tribunal' in Mato Grosso
The Civil Police rescued six people held in illegal detention in Primavera do Leste, 239 km from Cuiabá, on Monday (24), according to g1.globo.com. The victims — four women and two men — are believed to have been kidnapped by members of a criminal faction and taken to the property to be subjected to violent punishment, a practice known as a "crime tribunal".
Five suspects were found in the house, among them two adolescents and three adults. All were taken to the police unit.
Investigation stemmed from man's disappearance in April
The operation was conducted by the Homicide and General Crimes Division of Primavera do Leste as part of an investigation into the disappearance of a 42-year-old man that occurred in April of this year. Police officers located a vehicle that is believed to have been used in both the kidnapping of the victims and the man's disappearance. The car was monitored until it led officers to the property, which then came under surveillance.
Upon receiving information that people had been taken to the location, the team decided to enter the residence given the immediate risk to the victims.
Attempt to destroy evidence during the operation
Some of the victims were in a locked room at the moment the police entered. One of them was found sitting in a chair in front of one of the suspects. Upon noticing the police presence, one of those detained threw his own mobile phone out of the house, underneath a parked lorry, in an apparent attempt to destroy the device.
Inside the room, officers heard noises consistent with mobile phones being hurled against the floor. The victims confirmed that their devices had been confiscated when they were taken to the location. According to the Civil Police, faction members had received instructions to destroy the devices in the event of police intervention, with the aim of hindering evidence collection.
Multiple mobile phones were seized. Some were damaged and others still had not had their owners identified.
Cannabis and precision scales seized
During the searches, police officers found portions of cannabis wrapped in plastic bags, empty packaging, and two precision scales. The Civil Police indicated that the materials suggest the property was also being used to prepare and sell drugs.
The investigation is ongoing to clarify the disappearance of the 42-year-old man and identify the role of each of those under investigation in the case.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo