Rio police crackdown stops school activities, 6 thousand children affected

A special division at the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro is conducting a major operation against drug trafficking in the north of the city Monday (Nov. 27). The crackdown covers the favelas Parque União and Nova Holanda, both located in the Maré favela complex.

As part of the security measures, 19 schools stopped their activities and 6,616 students are being deprived of their classes. Four health care units have also had their doors closed and services are no longer available.

A team of agents with sniffer dogs seized over 300 kg of marijuana and 15 kg of cocaine paste in Parque União. In Nova Holanda, another team of officers confiscated an automatic rifle manufactured in Russia.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira