Suspect killed in police raid on organised fan group 'criminals' in Rio | OneFootball

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro carried out an operation against "criminals" in organized football club supporters who were fueling violence parallel to the matches on Thursday, authorities reported, stating that a suspect was killed during the action.

The police executed search and seizure warrants against 39 targets at various addresses, including the headquarters of the organized supporters of the four main clubs in Rio de Janeiro - Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Vasco da Gama - in an investigation prompted by recurring fights between the groups. Two people were arrested.

"These investigated criminals use social networks to schedule confrontations, the outcomes of which have been worsening, with recent cases of injuries and deaths," a police statement said.

These groups used codes to schedule the confrontations. The hashtag #PASNOSESTADIOS, replacing the Z with an S, along with an address, was one of them, the Civil Police spokesperson, Álvaro Gómez, told journalists.

The investigation "targets criminals who pose as supporters to commit violent crimes, including robberies and homicides," the official note said. "It is not about combating organized supporters, whose existence is provided for by law," it added.

The death of a suspect during the operation, named "Pax Stadium", occurred during an armed confrontation, authorities clarified, without giving further details. In videos released by the police, officers are seen forcing entry into various headquarters of organized supporters in Rio de Janeiro.

"A criminal is not a supporter. Football is not violence!", the Civil Police posted on Instagram.

Last week there were two deaths due to fights between organized supporters in Rio. A Vasco da Gama supporter died last Thursday with a gunshot to the head before the classic match against Botafogo for the Brazil Cup.

On Saturday, another supporter died after being assaulted while on his way to the match between São Cristóvão and Bonsucesso for the third division of the Carioca Championship. He was reportedly ambushed by a group of organized supporters around the Nilton Santos stadium.

The police reported that, in this Thursday's operation, two rifles and ammunition, as well as mobile phones and other electronic equipment, were seized.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.