Rio police find clandestine grave with at least 12 bodies
ByMARCELO DE SOUSA, ASSOCIATED PRESS RIO DE JANEIRO — Jul 5, 2019, 8:30 PM ET
Police in Rio de Janeiro on Friday found a clandestine grave with at least 12 bodies in a metropolitan part of the city where a militia group operates.
The grave was discovered in Itaboraí about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Rio and authorities believe the cemetery could be used by a paramilitary group that was targeted this week in a raid that led to 43 detentions.
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Police say the militia operating in the area is believed to have carried out torture, extortion and some 50 murders since the beginning of last year, with many of the victims listed as missing.
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Beginning in earnest in the 1990s, the militias were mainly made up of former police officers, firefighters and military men who wanted to combat lawlessness in their neighborhoods. For years, they were even lauded by politicians, including now-President Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain who as a congressman called for their legalization in 2008.
More:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rio-police-find-clandestine-grave-12-bodies-64158739
