Brazilian Prisoners Die In Blaze

At least 25 prisoners have died in Brazil after fellow inmates set fire to mattresses in a cell, police and local media report. Police said the incident appeared to be a setting of scores between rival gangs in the Ponte Nova jail in the central state of Minas Gerais. Brazil is notorious for its overcrowded prisons and the presence of organized criminal gangs within their walls. There have been several mass prison riots in recent years.

Death Squad in Brazil

There was a huge death squad in Brazil that was responsible for up to 200 killings in a year over the past five years. Most of these were linked to loan sharking. They were also involved in drug and gun trafficking. This gang was accused of killing hundreds of people over a number of years. Brazilian police finally arrested 18 suspects and are searching for 10 others. This gang was made up of hired guns, businessmen and policemen. They charged $500 to $1500 for contract killings. Among those arrested were two of the gang's leaders and various people involved in handling the gang's finances and several police officers were among those arrested. Mainly to remove evidence from crime schenes, the police in the death squad acted to do this.