Investigators in Rio de Janeiro arrested 59 police officers and 11 alleged drug traffickers yesterday after a year-long bribery inquiry and ongoing efforts to stamp out police corruption ahead of the World Cup in 2014 and summer Olympics in 2016.
The arrests, part of a crackdown on Rio’s historically violent and corrupt state police force, follow an investigation into bribes that drug dealers allegedly paid to police officers so they could operate without interference. The arrests were centred around the suburb of Duque de Caxias.
The officers and others arrested were charged with drug trafficking, corruption and kidnapping. – (Reuters)