Police seize biggest Rio slum as World Cup clean-up begins - Telegraph.co.uk

The emotion was plain on the face of Francisco Nunes, a father-of-three who has lived in Rocinha for 17 years since arriving from a rural northern state, as he gave a thumbs up to the police operation.

"I'm very happy," said the 36-year-old. "Everything will be better with the police presence, especially for the children. If they can stop the trafficking here, things will be much better for the next generation."

Sergio Cabral, the governor of Rio state, spoke of "an historic and emotional day for all of Brazil and principally for Rio".

"We are rescuing this population which needs peace. People want to live in dignity and a life of dignity requires peace," he said.

Police said they seized 13 rifles, with telescopic sights and ammunition, as well as a grenade and an unspecified quantity of marijuana.

Last week saw the capture of Rio's drug kingpin Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, also known as Nem, who was caught hidden in the trunk of a car leaving Rocinha, along with several accomplices and corrupt policemen who was protecting him.

Forces entering Vidigal had to overcome barricades and large quantities of oil poured down streets by drugs gangs in an effort to impede their progress.

But the relative ease with which they secured the labyrinthine streets of the slums was a regarded as a vindication of the operation which saw the area's other main drug dealers arrested in previous days following a major infiltration by police informants.

Police helicopters dropped leaflets telling local residents "Your community is being pacified" and listing phone numbers for anyone with information about the whereabouts of criminals, arms or drugs to anonymously call the authorities.

Brazil's security forces have now established 19 police pacification units in Rio's favelas since 2008 and plan to make that 40 by 2014. Rocinha is seen as the most important yet, due to its size and proximity to both popular tourist areas and venues for Olympic events.

Jose Mariano Beltrame, Rio state's security secretary, said areas that had been ruled by "a parallel, evil empire" for 30 years or more had been returned to society.

"What started today does not have a finish date," he added. "This is one of the biggest favelas of the Americas and maybe of the world. What we have achieved is the liberation of these people from the rule of the gun."