"Liga da Justiça" - Years on the run: Rio's most wanted criminal arrested
In Brazil, the most wanted criminal in the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro has been arrested. Luis Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho, had been on the run since 2018 and had handed himself in to the police, the federal police announced on Christmas Eve (local time).
He is considered the leader of Rio's largest militia, the "Liga da Justiça" (League of Justice), and is "Rio's number one enemy" according to the governor of the state, Cláudio Castro. There are at least twelve arrest warrants against him. He surrendered after negotiations between his lawyers and the federal police and the state's Public Security Secretariat, it was reported.
"This is another important result of the serious and planned work being carried out in Rio de Janeiro and other states to combat criminal organizations," said Brazil's Justice Minister Flávio Dino, according to the state news agency Agencia Brasil.
Militias are made up of active and former police officers who are involved in drug trafficking and protection rackets. They decide who gets electricity, gas and running water in the regions they control. Zinho's crime syndicate dominates Rio's western zone in particular. As recently as October, at least 35 buses and a train were set on fire there after the nephew and right-hand man of the militia chief had been killed by the police. The violence led to the closure of schools and paralyzed traffic in many places. The police assume that the buses set on fire were an act of revenge by the militia.
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- Antonio da Silva, a former police officer and alleged member of Zinho's crime syndicate, was also arrested by the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro last week.
- Despite the arrest of Zinho, the Federal Police expressed concern about the persisting criminality in Rio, citing the metropolis' status as a "metropolis of millions" with inherent security challenges.
- The arrest of Zinho is a significant victory in the fight against organized crime in Brazil, according to Cláudio Castro, the governor of Rio de Janeiro's state, who echoed the Interior Security Secretary Flávio Dino's praise for the Federal Police.
- Reports suggest that the arrest of Zinho was a result of a collaborative effort between his lawyers, the Federal Police, and the Public Security Secretariat, who considered it an "important result" in the ongoing battle against criminal organizations in Rio.
- Before fleeing Rio, Zinho had amassed a criminal record that included accusations of drug trafficking, extortion, and corruption, with his militia, Liga da Justiça, reportedly controlling large swathes of Rio's western zone.
- Cláudio Castro expressed his hope that the arrest would serve as a deterrent to other criminals operating within the city, sending a clear message that the law enforcement agencies in Rio de Janeiro would not tolerate criminal activities.
- The metropolis of Rio de Janeiro has long grappled with criminality, with militia groups like Liga da Justiça exploiting law enforcement vacancies and corruption to maintain their influence over working-class neighborhoods.
- As Zinho's arrest unfolded on "saint's eve," Rio de Janeiro's residents welcomed the news, hoping that it would signal a turning point in the trajectory of the city's battle against organized crime, given the influence of the Liga da Justiça and their relationship with prominent figures such as Zinho and Antonio da Silva.
Source: www.stern.de
