One hundred National Force agents have already arrived in RN after attacks in at least 18 cities. 28 people have already been arrested.| Photo: SESED-RN/disclosure

The Ministry of Justice authorized this Wednesday (15) the employment of the Penitentiary Intervention task force in the State of Rio Grande do Norte for 30 days. The ordinance was published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette.

The decision comes after a wave of coordinated attacks against public buildings and vehicles in some cities of the State, since the night of Monday, 13th. Alcaçuz, the largest prison unit in the state, located in Nísia Floresta, in Greater Natal.

According to the government’s ordinance, the task force should coordinate activities of guard, surveillance and custody services for prisoners. The operation will have logistical support and supervision by the State’s penitentiary administration and public security bodies.

The dispatch of the National Force was authorized by Minister Flávio Dino, this Tuesday (14th), and one hundred agents of the National Security Force arrived in the state of Rio Grande do Norte this morning.

The most recent balance sheet by the RN security forces, in mid-morning, pointed to the arrest of 31 suspects for the attacks and the seizure of 30 explosive devices and eight gallons of gasoline.

The police are still investigating who the perpetrators of the attacks are, but the suspicion is that they are retaliation by criminal drug trafficking organizations after police operations carried out last week. One of the alleged leaders of the attacks was transferred this Tuesday (14) to the Federal Penitentiary System.