Residents of Complexo do Alemão, in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro, reported a shooting on Tuesday (24/06) during a Civil Police operation targeting an illegal internet service scheme operated with the support of the Red Command in several communities across the state. Fire barricades were placed on community streets to block police access. According to the Civil Police, illegal providers were coercively imposing their services on residents by sabotaging legal networks, threatening residents and merchants, and using stolen equipment. One person was arrested, and three others were taken to the police station for questioning.
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How It Worked
Investigations revealed that illegal internet providers, backed by the logistical and operational support of the Red Command faction, were violently forcing their services on the population. Their tactics included the sabotage of competing networks, threats to residents and business owners, and the use of stolen equipment and unmarked vehicles for illicit operations.
Auctioned Cars
According to the investigation, the criminals began using vehicles acquired at insurance auctions to disguise their activities and complicate efforts to track them. These unmarked cars were used to patrol areas from which legitimate companies had been forcibly expelled.
Collection of Documents
The operation aimed to seize documents, digital media, network equipment, and financial records to better map out the gang’s structure and support future criminal and civil proceedings. A total of 15 search and seizure warrants were executed in Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, São Gonçalo, and Cabo Frio.
Recorded Scenes
In Jardim Primavera, Duque de Caxias, police teams captured videos and photos of “workers” destroying fiber optic cables belonging to legitimate providers, tied to companies involved in the illegal scheme. In Praça Seca, in Rio’s West Zone, new evidence surfaced of a company forcibly eliminating competitors. A vehicle linked to the organization was seen patrolling the region without authorization, consistently operating in areas where rival providers had been driven out.
Analysis:
The Civil Police operation in Complexo do Alemão exposes the alarming expansion of criminal control over essential infrastructure, particularly internet services, in Rio de Janeiro’s communities. This case goes beyond traditional public security concerns and reveals how organized crime is actively sabotaging legal service providers to impose monopolies through violence and coercion. The resulting domination of digital access networks severely undermines the fundamental rights of residents — including the right to communication, access to information, education, work, and public services.
While repression is necessary to dismantle these illegal schemes, it is equally important to ensure that legitimate companies can safely operate in these areas.
Sources: A Folha de SP; Extra.
