RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian army continued an operation for the third consecutive day in the favela of Rocinha on Sunday. For the past week, military units have been cracking down on the drug trafficking trade across Rio de Janeiro.
Official sources said Sunday's operation took place after intense firefights on Saturday, leading to nine arrests, the seizure of 18 guns and a large quantity of drugs.
Around 1,000 soldiers and 10 armored vehicles have been inside Rocinha since Friday to try to stem bloodshed between two rival gangs, fighting for control of the favela.
According to Rio's secretary of security, Roberto Sa, the presence of the army has already stopped around 1 million reais (around 300,000 U.S. dollars) from flowing to gangs in Rocinha.
This symbolic favela in the south of the city is nestled right next to the rich neighborhoods of Sao Conrado and Gavea. Official data says around 70,000 people live inside Rocinha but unofficial estimates put the number far higher.
According to the press, this drug war was started by a group controlled by drug leader Rogerio Avelino, alias "Rogerio 157." He was seemingly trying to expel from Rocinha a gang led by Antonio Bomfim Lopez, who is seeking to maintain control while being in prison in the northern state of Rondonia.
Clashes in Rocinha over the last week have left at least four dead, and caused all schools in the area to shut down.
