Police in Brazil arrest group suspected of planning terror attack during Rio Games
Source: Washington Post
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian police have arrested 10 people suspected of planning terrorist attacks during the Rio Olympics, Brazilian prosecutors in the southern state of Parana said Thursday.
The 10, all Brazilians, had declared loyalty to the Islamic State and were communicating via cellphone messenger services Telegram and WhatsApp to plan attacks during the Summer Games, which open Aug. 5, Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes told reporters in the capital, Brasilia. The arrests took place in 10 different states, and police issued arrest warrants for two more suspects.
"Operation Hashtag, triggered by federal police this Thursday morning, investigates the possible participation of Brazilians in a criminal organization with international reach, as an Islamic State cell in this country,” the prosecutor’s office in Parana said in a statement. It added that “12 arrest warrants for temporary custody of 30 days were issued and may be extended for 30 more."
De Moraes said the group’s leader was based in Curitiba, capital of Parana state. Only four of the suspects had met personally, but they had declared loyalty to the Islamic State and discussed practicing shooting and martial arts, de Moraes said. One had began emailed negotiations to buy an AK-47 assault rifle on the Internet, he said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/police-in-brazil-arrest-group-suspected-of-planning-terror-attack-during-rio-games/2016/07/21/197c2076-4f51-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_brazil-1210pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
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