By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – One of Rio’s most-wanted armed criminals, Humberto dos Santos, better known as Beto Playboy, has been arrested by police in the Morro do Adeus area, part of the Complexo do Alemão in Rio’s Zona Norte (North Zone). The 53-year-old had six arrest warrants issued against him, including for armed robbery, kidnapping and unlawful deprivation of liberty.
Santos reportedly gave himself up when police descended on his address. It is thought he could face more than forty years in prison, according to the police department responsible for his arrest.
Officer Luís Antônio Ferreira said one of Rio’s most prolific thieves had been taken off the city’s streets: “[Santos] worked mainly around Ramos, Penha and Bonsucesso, carrying out robberies on armored cars [used to transfer money], banks and jewelry stores.”
Santos was first spotted by a police officer about ten days ago around the Morro do Adeus, and subsequent investigations finally led to his long-awaited arrest on Friday.
Police had been looking for the criminal since 2009 after he was granted the right to serve the remainder of a prison sentence in a semi-open prison. Yet he subsequently failed to return to prison, and a hotline was set up offering a R$1,000 reward (around US$500) for his capture.
The Adeus area of the Complexo do Alemão, where Santos was arrested, now has a Police Pacification Unit (UPP) after police drove many criminal connected to arms and drugs trafficking out of the favela neighborhood.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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