Brazil: Military agents conduct raid on public jail in Amazonas

Brazil's Defense Minister Raul Jungmann was in Manaus, state capital of Amazonas state, to monitor the inspection of the Brazilian Army at the Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa Public Jail. The raid was conducted by 380 military men as well as 350 other agents from state public security bodies. The crackdown was dubbed Chaw'pã 1, which means cleanup in the indigenous language of the Hupda, from the upper Negro river. 

The jail was reactivated to receive 280 other inmates from the Anísio Jobim Penitentiary Complex (COMPAJ), where a rebellion left 56 dead and 225 escapees on January 1. A clash also took place between inmates at the public jail on January 8, which saw four people killed.

The minister said that the raid had been requested by state authorities. “We're concerned with the facilities, with the raid, not just to prevent the communication of organized crime inside the prison units with those outside. But on the other hand we know that objects such as weapons, iron bars, knives, and other instruments potentialize this human tragedy which has taken place at these prisons,” he said.

The military agents seized 23 cell phones, 41 mobile gadgets, three electronic games, 42 sharp and pointed objects, like shivs and knives, a fake gun, a rope made of rags, and 18 bundles containing narcotic substances.

General Geraldo Antonio Miotto, of the Military Command of the Amazon, announced no contact was established between the agents and the inmates during the crackdown. He said the operation transpired with technical precision and without major incidents. “The public security agencies isolate and remove prisoners from their cells, take them to a safe place, after which the raid is conducted by the Army. It's a highly technical task, our equipment is top-notch. Our personnel is highly trained for this job. We're convinced that we'll deliver a clean, well-swept jail,” the general said.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira