Members of the group allegedly had pledged allegiance to ISIS but had not had any direct contact with the militant group, Lulu reports from Rio.
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The police operation, codenamed ‘Hashtag, ‘ took place across nine states, with suspects arrested in Sao Paulo and Parana. The group members were located in 10 different Brazilian states and include one who is a minor; they called themselves Defenders of Sharia. An investigation that included wiretaps found communications that supported firearms and guerrilla tactics to carry out the attack, Bloomberg News reported.
Ten people with links to Daesh radical group have been arrested in Brazil ahead of the Olympic Games, according to Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
Yesterday, Brazilian authorities arrested 10 people for planning to commit acts of terrorism at the Río Olympic Games and are still looking for two more suspects.
Still, Mr Moraes emphasised the group’s embryonic nature, calling it “an amateur cell without any preparation”.
“All threats related to the Rio 2016 Games are being meticulously investigated, particularly those related to terrorism”, the Brazilian intelligence agency ABIN said in a statement.
He added that the suspects had celebrated attacks claimed by Islamic State and declared Brazil a potential target despite the country not being part of the coalition battling the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.
SITE said a message was posted to “Inspire the Believers!” saying, “Lone wolf from anywhere in the world can move to Brazil now”. They go on to note that once in Brazil, weapons could easily be obtained in area slums for a small price. A French prosecutor said Thursday the attacker who drove into a crowded promenade with a massive truck had been planning the attack for “months” and had up to four accomplices.
Brazil is also coordinating closely with partner countries and will operate a joint security center where representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to help share intelligence and monitor the event.
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Group members had attempted to contact a weapons supplier in neighbouring Paraguay to get AK 47 assault rifles, but there was no evidence of any being bought. Authorities have said 85,000 police officers and soldiers will be patrolling during the competitions.
