Over 60 killed in massive drug raids in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro

Bodies piled up in poor neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday as police launched their biggest ever raids on the city’s drug traffickers, leaving at least 64 dead in warlike scenes.

As many as 2,500 heavily armed officers, backed by armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones took part in the operation targeting Brazil’s main drug-trafficking gang in two poor neighbourhoods, or favelas, in northern Rio.

Gunfire rang out in the area near Rio’s international airport, and smoke billowed from several fires on Tuesday afternoon, several hours after the raids started.

Residents scrambled for cover and shops closed their doors amid police claims that the gangs were using drones to fight back.

State Governor Claudio Castro described the operation in the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemao favelas as the largest in the state’s history.

The central government said the raids aimed to stop a gang called Comando Vermelho (Red Command) from expanding.