RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
Criminal groups set at least 35 buses on fire in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Monday, according to the industry group that represents bus companies, after police killed a crime boss in an operation.
The attacks on buses were
concentrated in the west of the city, where rival criminal groups are fighting
for territorial control. They came after a police operation that killed the
nephew of the leader of the state's largest militia, according to the police.
Rio's so-called militias,
often composed of current and former police officers, have become one of the
region's largest security threats. Originally set up as self-defense forces for
poor neighborhoods blighted by drug gangs, they have now metastasized into
criminal outfits operating in multiple different rackets.
Industry group Rio Onibus said
20 of the vehicles were city buses, five were part of the city's rapid transit
fleet and the remainder were chartered or tourism buses.
Rio de Janeiro state Governor
Claudio Castro said the operation was a "heavy blow" to the militia.
"In addition to being
related to the criminal (head of the militia), he acted as the paramilitary
group's 'man of war,' being the main person responsible for the turf wars that
terrorize residents in Rio," Castro said in a social media post.
The attacks disrupted the
city's bus rapid transit system, hindering the commute home for residents and
workers in the region. Classes in public schools in the area were also
canceled.
The Military Police said it
arrested 12 suspects involved in the fires, in addition to preventing 15
individuals from setting a cargo truck on fire in one of the city's main
gateways.
No comments:
Post a Comment