Police arrest 12 suspects for planning an attack on Paulista Avenue.
Investigation points to the use of social media to coordinate attacks with bombs and Molotov cocktails. The operation also resulted in arrests in Rio de Janeiro.
A São Paulo Civil Police operation carried out this Monday (2) resulted in the arrest of 12 people suspected of belonging to a group that planned attacks with bombs and Molotov cocktails on Paulista Avenue. According to the authorities, the actions were planned to take place on the very day the operation was launched. According to the department, the explosives were not located during the execution of the warrants, and the police are continuing to investigate the whereabouts of the devices. The information is from Folha de São Paulo.
Operation targeted planned attacks.
The SSP (São Paulo State Public Security Secretariat) reported that a replica firearm was seized during the operation. Of those arrested, six are identified by the police as holding command positions within the investigated group's structure. In addition to the arrests in São Paulo, the operation also resulted in arrests in the state of Rio de Janeiro, indicating the suspects' interstate activities.
The coordination took place through social media.
According to the investigation, the attacks were planned through social media, with the largest concentration of organization in groups on the Telegram app. Authorities say the messages contained instructions on how to carry out the attacks. According to the chief of the São Paulo Civil Police, Arthur Dian, the monitored groups had approximately 8.000 participants.
The manual provided guidance on how to proceed during protests.
The SSP also identified the circulation of a pamphlet among the group's members. The material provided guidance for participants—including adults and minors—on the use of cell phone signal blockers, with the aim of hindering the contact of security agencies. The manual also included instructions on how to identify police officers during protests and demonstrations.
According to the Public Security Secretariat, those under investigation claimed to have no specific political motivation and said they were opposed to governments in general. The majority of those arrested are young people. Also according to the SSP, when approached, the detainees admitted to belonging to the investigated groups, but claimed that planning the actions was just a "joke".
