Police
in Brazil have arrested nine of their fellow officers suspected of
carrying out a series of killings on the outskirts of Sao Paulo.
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| Foto: bbc.co.uk |
Investigators
say they were probably seeking revenge after the shooting of an
off-duty policeman during a robbery in the area. Nineteen people were
killed within several hours on 13 August.
Witnesses
in various locations said masked gunmen pulled up in a car before
opening fire.In many cases they checked the victims' names before
shooting or asked if they had criminal records. The nine suspects
were arrested in a major police operation across the Sao Paulo area.
More than 400 policemen took part in the operation. They seized guns,
mobile phones and other objects.
'Rogue policemen'
The
August attacks happened in the municipal areas of Osasco and Barueri.
São Paulo State Governor Geraldo Alckmin promised a swift investigation
and set up a special task force. But nearly two months after the
attacks, only one suspect had been arrested.
Human
rights groups say there is a high number of people are killed every
year in Brazil either in police custody or by rogue policemen. In the
city of Rio de Janeiro alone military police have been responsible
for more than 1,500 deaths in the last five years, the UK-based
campaign group Amnesty International says. Amnesty says that in some
cases officers shot suspects who had surrendered or had been wounded.
Police trade unions say officers often come under fire from drug
dealers and other criminals.
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