At least eight dead in an anti-drug police operation in Rio de Janeiro favelas

São Paulo.- At least eight people died this Wednesday during a police operation against drug trafficking in favelas in the center of Rio de Janeiro, the regional government reported.

The action launched by the special operations battalion led to the death of Claudio Augusto dos Santos, known as Jiló, one of the leaders of drug trafficking in the Morro dos Prazeres region.

The head of the militarized police in Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Menezes, said during a press conference that Jiló was responsible for kidnappings and robberies, as well as having participated in the murder of an Italian tourist who mistakenly entered a favela in 2016.

Six other deaths were linked to drug trafficking, while one deceased was a local resident who was used as a hostage by the criminals and who ended up shot, according to the authorities.

In response to the death of Jiló, alleged members of the criminal faction set a bus on fire and used vehicles to block several streets.

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The police action, in which more than 150 officers participated, and the subsequent reaction led to the closure of schools in the region and the suspension of bus lines.

Last October, the regional government launched a criticized operation against drug trafficking that left 122 deaths, including those of five agents.