Police in Brazil have arrested 10 people for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack against the upcoming Olympics in Rio, according to Brazil’s justice minister.
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‘There was an order between them to start training in martial arts and to (obtain) ammunition and weapons with which they could carry out an act, ‘ justice minister Alexandre Moraes said. They did not know each other personally, the minister said.
The suspects will be held for 30 days with the possibility of a 30-day extension while the case against them is being built.
One message reportedly said: “If the French police can not stop attacks on its territory, training given to the Brazilian police will not do anything”.
“Operation Hashtag, triggered by federal police Thursday morning, investigates the possible participation of Brazilians in a criminal organization with global reach, as an Islamic State cell in this country”, the prosecutor’s office in Parana said in a statement.
“The Olympics is a really unique opportunity to be able to target a concentration of all of the enemies in one area”, she said. The SITE Intelligence Group reported a jihadi channel on the messaging app Telegram provided suggestions for lone wolf attacks in Rio.
“The investigations began in April with the accompaniment of social networks by the federal police anti-terrorism division”. Several were allegedly trying to secure financing from IS. The individuals come from 10 different states across the country, and one of them is a minor. This incident comes just two weeks before the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
But he cautioned it was hard to say how serious this threat was. The court-approved intercept of the communications found the group had sworn an allegiance to the Islamic State.
Small arms are easily available in Paraguay, which has a porous border with Brazil. Only members of the military may possess assault weapons like the AK-47, although those and other firearms are common place especially in slums controlled by drug gangs.
Last week, Brazil said it was bolstering security for the August 5-21 Olympics following the deadly lorry attack in the French city of Nice, which killed 84 people and left scores badly wounded.
Officials did not raise the country’s terror alert level Thursday following the raids.
Concerns about the spread of the Zika virus, along with security, are among the major concerns for the country as it prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of people for the Olympics.
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“The police and the army have been involved in massive repressive operations in poor communities in Rio ahead of the games”, he said, adding there were widespread protests over police crackdowns.
