He said that there were no specific targets for an attack, but that even disorganized groups have to be taken seriously.
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According to CNN, Rio does not have an established terror network, nor have they had any activity with known jihadi.
The Brazilian suspects did take part in a virtual “baptism” into the terror group, an online ceremony in which members repeat phrases and swear loyalty that Moraes characterized as a “standard” procedure that takes place without contact with the terror group.
Investigators say those arrested were discussing targets in Rio, which leads them to believe they were planning attacks during the Olympics. Additionally, other countries are sending their own independent security groups to protect athletes.
The local Olympic organizing committee, Rio 2016, referred requests for comment to the federal government. There will be 10,000 plain clothes police that are trained to look for anything suspicious.
Despite the golfers’ stated concerns over Zika, Olympic organizers say the athletes are spurning the event because they see no financial incentive. He did not elaborate.
“Today was the first operation against a supposed terrorist cell in Brazil”, he told a news conference.
Only four of the suspects had met, but they had declared loyalty to the Islamic State and discussed practicing shooting and martial arts, de Moraes said.
He added that the members had visited a weapons site in Paraguay that sells AK-47’s, but that there was no evidence they acquired any of the assaults rifle or weapons. Two people will be brought in for questioning, in addition to the 10 already detained, he added.
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.
The presidency said that interim President Michel Temer had called an emergency cabinet meeting. “Your chance to be a martyr is here!” the jihadis said, citing the easy process of obtaining visas for travel to Brazil as well as the wide availability of guns in “crime-ridden slums”, according to the report by Lisa Daftari, an investigative journalist specializing in foreign affairs as well as a Fox News analyst.
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The SITE Intelligence Group that monitors the internet reported that the previously unknown group calling itself “Ansar al-Khilafah Brazil” and it had said on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday that it followed the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
