Two weeks before the start of the Olympics in Rio, the Federal Police (PF) held on the morning of Thursday (21) an undercover operation to combat terrorism arrested ten people in seven states, the Ministry of Justice.
Were the first arrests in Brazil based on the recent anti-terrorism law, passed in March by the removed President Dilma Rousseff. Also were the first arrests for suspected links with the terrorist group Islamic State, which acts in the Middle East, but has committed attacks in various parts of the world.
The government and the Federal Police did not release the names of those arrested or where they were taken.
In addition to the arrests, they were completed 19 search warrants in ten states - São Paulo (8); Goiás (2); Amazonas (2); Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Paraíba, Ceará, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso (one each). There were also two coercive conveyances in São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
The Minister of Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, told a news conference that investigated the operation had no contact with members of the Islamic State and that it is an "absolutely amateur cell" because it had "no preparation".
"But obviously we can not - no security force. - Ignore it [...] Just the fact that they started preparatory acts, it would not be sensible to wait and see, and the best was to decree the arrest them," said the minister .
Moraes said the group mentioned the intention to buy an AK-47 rifle in a clandestine shop in Paraguay.
According to Moraes, investigated in the operation, dubbed Hashtag, they had never met in person and were monitored for months by police. They used to communicate over the internet, through instant messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram.
Asked how was the monitoring of suspects, as WhatsApp was blocked more than once by the Brazilian Justice precisely for not providing data for investigations, the Minister initially refused to answer. Then he said to reveal how was monitoring would hinder the investigation.
detainees
"Today, culminated in the first operation that targeted an alleged terrorist cell in Brazil. They were arrested 10 individuals," said Moraes Alexander in an interview at the Ministry of Justice.
The alleged leader of the group, said Moraes, is Curitiba. A suspect was arrested in Manaus. Another, 26, was arrested in rural gaucho town of Morro Redondo, in a place called Horse of scourges. In São Paulo, the arrests occurred in Amparo, Campinas, Guarulhos and capital.
According to the Federal Police, the judge Josegrei Marcos da Silva, the 14th Vara Federal do Paraná Justice, issued 12 warrants for temporary arrest for 30 days and can be extended for another month. Moraes said the two suspects were still at large in the "radar" of the police and should be held soon.
The judge also issued two forceful warrants (when the person is required to give evidence) and 19 search and seizure.
As Moraes Alexandre, one of coercive conduct warrants is against the CEO of an NGO, to clarify talks that would have made apology to the Islamic State.
For "security reasons," Moraes said he would not give more details about the institution.
'Preparatory acts'
At the press conference, the Minister of Justice said the suspects arrested on Thursday were being monitored by the PF few months ago and they were arrested because they passed the comments on social networks and text messages to "preparatory acts" of terrorist attacks.
"Several messages show the degradation of these people, celebrating the attack in Orlando and Nice, commenting on the previous attack that took place in France, posting and circulating among them that the executions were relizadas the Islamic state," said Moraes.
"From the moment they left what is almost an apologia for terrorism to preparatory acts, was promptly made the action of the federal government," said the minister.
About what are the actions that the group was planning, Alexandre de Moraes said that "at no time they spoke in pump".
According to the minister, "they spoke shoot" and reason, mentioned the intention to buy an AK-47 rifle in a clandestine shop in Paraguay.
Moraes explained that the fact that one of the group members research the purchase of the weapon can be considered one of the "preparatory acts", which served as the basis for the arrest warrants were issued.
Asked then about what the "real risk" group, he said: "We do not wait [to define the locations where the attack would take place and the way] You can not wait for it, wait enlarge.."
The minister said that there was, by the Islamic State funding to the group arrested on Thursday, only a request from the alleged leader so that the members seek ways to get resources.