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The most-wanted drug kingpin in Rio’s largest slum was caught hiding in the trunk of a car overnight as dozens of crack police tighten their noose on the Rocinha favela ahead of an imminent assault to flush out drug traffickers.
Antonio Bonfim Lopes – also known as “Nem” and considered one of the city’s most wanted criminals – was arrested as he tried to flee the besieged shantytown.
Nem’s dramatic arrest, repeatedly aired on television stations yesterday, came as police special forces geared for an assault to wrest control of Rocinha from drug traffickers who have been controlling Brazil’s biggest favela for the past 30 years.
Rio has one of the highest murder rates in the country and the crackdown on Rocinha drug gangs is part of an official campaign since 2008 to restore security in the city before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil will host.
Poubel said special forces agents who set up a roadblock on one of the access roads leading to Rocinha grew suspicious when they spotted a low-riding car and thought it was carrying a heavy load.
“One of three occupants of the vehicle identified himself as the honorary consul of the Congo and refused to have the car searched,” citing “diplomatic immunity”, the official said.
The embassies of both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo both denied having honorary consuls in Rio, according to press reports.
As the vehicle was being driven to the federal police headquarters, the occupants tried to bribe their way out by offering the police agents $569,000 (417,000 euros) which they were carrying in a suitcase, he added.
Corruption is rife in the Rio police force.
“Police reinforcements were called and the vehicle was searched: Nem was in the trunk. He came out with his hands up in the air,” Poubel said.
At the police headquarters, the drug kingpin called his mother and he asked her to ensure his children go to school.
“He has seven children, including two adopted ones, from three different women and said he would resume a normal life once out of jail,” according to Poubel.
Television footage later showed Nem being transferred from the federal police headquarters to the Bangu maximum security jail near Rio.
Brazilian radio stations said Nem used to be a model employee of a telecom company who “stumbled” into organised crime after getting a loan from a former Rocinha drug baron to pay for medical care for one of his daughters.
To pay back his debts, he reportedly began dealing drugs and later took over as chief of the gang which controls Rocinha, which is home to 120,000 people.
Also captured in the police operation were 14 people, including five police officers who were escorting five Nem lieutenants, notably his right-hand man known as “Coelho”, Poubel said.
Poubel said the assault to “pacify” Rocinha was “imminent” and local media reported it would be launched this weekend.
Rocinha, built on a steep hillside overlooking the “Marvelous City” and located between two wealthy neighbourhoods, would thus become the 19th favela to be cleared of traffickers.
The neighbouring Vidigal shantytown is also expected to be “pacified” soon.
Police had offered a $2,858 (2,100 euro) reward for information leading to the capture of Nem, who reportedly had to be treated at a local health clinic after he drank liquor mixed with ecstasy at a farewell bash on Sunday.
Endemic and chronic urban violence has long tarnished the image of Rio de janeiro, where more than 1.5mn people live in 1,000 slums spread throughout the city.