by Michael Hone
Two .38 caliber revolvers, drugs, cash and replica machine gun seized
FORTALEZA, Ceara – Civil Narcotics Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested a gang accused of trafficking drugs and renting weapons to criminals for use in robberies and killings. News of the raid, in the Luciano Cavalcante neighborhood of Fortaleza, was reported on various media sites.
Seized guns and cash (photo: jangadeiroonline.com.br)
According to Pedro Viana, chief of the Bureau of Narcotics, criminals in the area preferred to rent firearms, instead of buying them, to avoid being caught in possession of an illegal gun when it wasn't being used.
Police were tipped off to the operation by anonymous phone calls. Leonardo Silva Oliveira, 27, Jose Francenildo Sauza de Sa, 23, Ronaldo Soares Sales, also 23, and Leonardo Fernandes da Silva, known as “Fat Leo,” were found in a location known as Pig Alley, off Esmerinda Mendes Street. Police say Fat Leo is responsible for four robberies and illegal weapon possession.
During the raid, authorities found the gang in possession of 107 rocks of crack cocaine, 23 grams of marijuana, two .38 caliber revolvers, ammunition for the weapons, $R44 in small bills and change and a replica sub-machine gun.
“The replica machine-gun was so perfect, nobody could tell that it wasn't real,” said the chief. One of the guns was stolen from a guard, in June 2010 in Pajucara. The guard, who was shot during the robbery, will be brought to the police station to attempt to identify a member of the gang as the robber who took his gun. If a positive ID is made, the suspect will have to answer to robbery charges.
The suspects are being held at the Police Narcotics Bureau pending the possible ID by the robbery victim.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Brazilian online news source for this article: jangadeiroonline.com.br
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