Friday, November 11, 2011

Rio de Janeiro Drug Trafficker Caught

One of the leading drug traffickers of Rio de Janeiro was caught at a police checkpoint, hiding in a trunk. When the car Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes was hiding was stopped by the police, suspicion quickly started to rise. The driver claimed to be a Congolese diplomat and refused to allow the car to be searched. Eventually the driver relented and agreed to have the car searched at a federal police station. While driving to the police station another passenger in the car tried twice to bribe the police with the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Once the group arrived at the federal police station the car was immediately searched and Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes was found hiding in the trunk. It was also soon found out by authorities that the Democratic Republic of Congo does not have a consulate in Rio, which several of the car passengers claimed to be working for. Rio de Janeiro will be the host of the 2014 World Cup as well as the 2016 Olympics. The government is attempting to clean up the slums in preparation for the sports events. Catching a leading criminal is definitely a step in the right direction, but is it fair to feel a little disappointed in his capture? He seems to be caught accidentally. Then again, many criminals seem to be caught by luck and Lopes' removal from Rio will make it all the more safer for tourists.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/americas/brazil-drug-capture/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Posted by Kendall Bilbro

No comments: