Agents of the Federal Police seized in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some 1,000 firearms and thousands of ammunition, which were sold illegally.
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According to a police statement released this Friday, “this is the largest arsenal seized by the authorities in the history of Rio” and included five rifles, three UZI-type machine guns, carbines, revolvers, pistols and “thousands of ammunition.”
The weapons were sold, irregularly, in two stores located in the Baixada Fluminense, a violent sector that encompasses several favelas in the metropolitan area of the coastal Brazilian city.
About a thousand weapons were seized in Nova Iguaçu, a record of the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro.
Can we imagine the despair of Clã Bolsonaro, with this gigantic prejudice for the militias of his area of influence in the capital of Rio de Janeiro? pic.twitter.com/ZJMkPQO16N— Sergio AJ Barretto (@SergioAJBarrett)
March 18, 2023
“The seizure of such a large quantity of war materiel is of the utmost importance to prevent the possible introduction of firearms into the clandestine market and helps to weaken criminal organizations such as militias or criminal groups,” the Federal Police statement highlighted.
The operation took place this Wednesday and was the continuation of one that began in February against the two stores, in which four people were arrested and 68 rifles and 12 revolvers were seized, in addition to ammunition.
The crimes of illegal trade in firearms, ammunition and accessories, as well as illegal possession of firearms, are sentenced in Brazil with sentences of 12 and 3 years, respectively.