The victims kept arriving - reporter shares fatal Rio police raid

The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him about the operation Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, reported he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of those present.

"The violence of the situation affected me a lot: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was designed to preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, local officials maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the events intensified as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that some of them had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department also said that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse