Criminal Police participates in the fourth phase of the national operation to combat illicit communication in prison units

Between Wednesday (24/4) and Friday (26/4), the Criminal Police carried out searches of four prisons in the State. The actions are part of the fourth phase of Operation Mute, coordinated by the National Secretariat for Penal Policies (Senappen) and which aims to remove cell phones from prison units as a way of combating illicit communication by organized crime and reducing crime rates. In total, 133 telephone devices were seized.

The initiative took place simultaneously across the country and included the work of federal and state prison employees in 51 prison units. In Rio Grande do Sul, 170 cells and 1,491 inmates were searched. The operations were carried out in the Canoas Prison Complex and in the state penitentiary of Porto Alegre, Caxias do Sul, and Santa Maria.

The head of the Secretariat of Penal and Socio-Educational Systems (SSPS), Luiz Henrique Viana, highlighted the relevance of magazines in establishments to ensure greater security for society. “The Criminal Police of Rio Grande do Sul has carried out important work, with a frequent routine of operations in prison units, which enable the seizure of illicit materials and help combat the communication of criminal organizations. In conjunction with Senappen, we have managed to achieve good results,” he stated.

The operations involved 330 prison staff, including members of the Special Actions Group (Gaes), the Rapid Intervention Groups (GIRs) of the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 9th and 10th Penitentiary Regions and the prison units themselves.

The superintendent of Penitentiary Services, Mateus Schwartz, highlighted the role of the Rio Grande do Sul Penal Police in the national strategy for combating crime in the prison system. “This integration qualifies our operations and enhances the fight against organized crime. It is also recognition of the quality of our employees in prison interventions and in the removal of illicit materials from within the units”, he highlighted.

This is the largest action carried out by Senappen in the context of combating organized crime, considering the number of participating States, the number of prison staff involved and the prison units searched. Coordination in the State was carried out by the Department of Intelligence and Strategic Operations of the SSPS and the Department of Security and Penal Execution of the Penal Police, with the participation of the institution’s Intelligence Department.

Previous phases

The first phase took place between October 16 and 27, 2023 and resulted in the seizure, across the country, of 1,166 cell phones. The operations were carried out in 68 prison units in 26 states. In total, 55,919 people deprived of their liberty were searched.

In the second phase, from December 11 to 15, 2023, 1,294 cell phones were seized. The operation took place in 114 establishments in 26 States and the Federal District, totaling 75,672 inmates searched.

In the third, from January 31st to February 2nd, 631 devices were seized in 87 prisons in 27 federative units. Together, the three stages of the operation removed 3,091 cell phones used for illicit communication inside the country’s prisons.

_{Text: Rafaela Pollacchinni/Ascom SSPS
Editing: Rodrigo Toledo França/Secom}