The state Secretary of Prison Police of Rio de Janeiro (Seppen) launched this Thursday another phase of Operation Illicitus, which aims to suppress the entry of illegal materials into prisons in the state. The operation specifically targets bosses of the Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) imprisoned at Presídio Jonas Lopes de Carvalho, known as Bangu 4, located in the Complexo de Gericinó, in the West Zone of the state capital.
In addition to the faction leaders, the operation also targets visitors arriving at the prison gate and prison police who may facilitate illicit activities inside the prison facilities. The action represents an ongoing effort by authorities to combat the trafficking of cell phones and drugs in Rio's prisons.
Twenty-three cell phones and drugs have already been seized during this phase of the operation. Since the beginning of August, Operation Illicitus has taken a total of 567 cell phones out of circulation in the prisons and approximately eight kilograms of drugs.
Among the recent seizures, 64 cell phones were confiscated at Cadeia Pública Paulo Roberto Rocha, also located in the Complexo de Gericinó, during an operation carried out last Monday. This prison facility is also a target of the state's prison security operations.
