🔗 Share this article

Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness stated. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer stated that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He explained that evening, area inhabitants started looking the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" lost their lives during the action.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the total number of casualties as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Based on correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, described organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He continued that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message on online platforms, he asserted that some of them had been taken of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official from the police department also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse