HomeNewsBriefBrazil Authorities Bust Prison Officials Suspected of Extortion Ring
BRIEF

Brazil Authorities Bust Prison Officials Suspected of Extortion Ring

BRAZIL / 8 NOV 2011 BY JEANNA CULLINAN EN

Authorities in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state have issued arrest warrants for nine people in connection with an extortion ring that demanded bribes from those visiting inmates.

The extortion ring operated at Polinter prison in Nova Friburgo, northeast of Rio’s state capital, and involved prison officers and inmates. Four have been arrested in "Operation Pharaoh," including a prison administrator, and arrest warrants have been issued for 12 others.

While carrying out a property search at the home of one of the suspects, police discovered a large supply of suspected contraband. All suspects will be charged with criminal conspiracy to commit bribery. The prison administrator and police guards will also be charged with extortion by a public official.

Brazil's prisons are notoriously overcrowded and difficult to manage, and extortion rings operated by prisoners have been identified in the past.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 16 MAR 2022

Rocco Morabito’s story has all the makings of a great film script. The Italian mob, tons of cocaine, exotic destinations,…

BRAZIL / 4 MAR 2022

An alleged deal between government officials and illegal miners in Brazil’s Amazon led to the latter being provided with weapons…

BRAZIL / 28 JUN 2022

Prosecutors, mayors, prison directors, relatives of officials - are assassinations here to stay in Paraguay?…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…