RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Brazilian authorities arrested five police officers accused of trying to resell a rifle seized during a raid that left 122 dead last month in Rio de Janeiro, the state’s military police said on Friday.
The October 28 operation, Brazil’s deadliest ever, has left 117 alleged gang members and five police officers dead – four on the day of the operation, and one other weeks later from injuries sustained during it.
The officers allegedly diverted one of the nearly 100 rifles seized from gang members, authorities found after examining images from body cameras used by police officers on the day of the operation.
The weapon was intended to be resold to organized crime, a source close to the matter told Reuters.
The military police said in a statement that they “do not condone any misconduct or crimes committed by their members, and will rigorously punish those involved when such acts are proven.”
(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Paul Simao)
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