🔗 Share this article

Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how residents came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he managed to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He described that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me profoundly: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of Rio state declared that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was intended to halting a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials stated that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has estimated the final tally of fatalities to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the situation worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "tampered with".

Via a statement through digital channels, he said that some of them had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse