Brazilian Troops to Join Sunbathers on Beaches
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RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian troops will patrol the beaches here throughout the summer as part of a larger campaign to crack down on crime, Globo newspaper reported Sunday.
The anti-crime operation, ordered by President Itamar Franco on Oct. 31, is mainly directed against drug trafficking in the city’s shantytowns.
Over the past month, troops have occupied a number of slums for up to several days, confiscating both drugs and arms and reportedly reducing drug dealing in those areas.
About 1,500 soldiers withdrew Saturday from two shantytowns in Copacabana and Ipanema that they had occupied for 72 hours after confiscating the largest number of arms since the crackdown began, newspapers said.
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