Non-Subscriber Extract
Anti-aircraft' weapon seized from Brazilian drugs gang
14 April 2008
EVENT |
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Military police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro said on 22 April that they had seized a 0.50 calibre "anti-aircraft" weapon from a drugs gang. |
It is not yet clear from which gang the weapon was seized. Discovery of such weapons is a major cause of concern, with helicopters and armoured vehicles a favoured method of transport for many politicians and businesspeople as well as police in Brazil's major cities.
FORECAST |
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For now there is no reason to suspect that the risk to commercial traffic has increased significantly, and the fact that the gun seized on 22 April warranted a statement and relatively high levels of media attention indicates that seizures of weapons of this calibre remain rare. Still, this latest seizure appears to confirm that the gangs retain access to military-grade weaponry and will therefore continue to present a stiff challenge to police attempts to impose order in the favelas in the coming weeks. |