Porto Alegre, Brazil (CNN) Twenty-five people, including one police officer, were killed in a police anti-drug raid in a slum on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, according to state police, despite a Supreme Court order banning such operations other than in "absolutely exceptional" circumstances during the pandemic. In a press conference late Thursday, a spokesman for the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said the purpose of the operation was to prevent drug traffickers from forcing minors to join gangs. "We went to that community to guarantee the rights of that population that lives under the dictatorship of drug trafficking," Felipe Curi, director of the General Department of Specialized Police said. According to the Civil Police, 200 officers took part in the operation authorities said followed months of investigation and aimed to prevent drug traffickers from forcing minors to join gangs. The raid led to the arrest of six people and the seizure of 20 guns, in addition to what the police called "abundant amounts of drugs."

Source: CNN May 07, 2021 02:37 UTC