Four satellite internet antennas were seized last week at the Gabriel Ferreira de Castilho Prison, also known as Bangu 3. The State Secretariat of Penitentiary Police (Seppen) is investigating whether the equipment was being used by inmates to try to circumvent the signal blockers installed at the Gericinó Complex, in the West Zone of Rio.
Agents also found 14 cell phones inside the unit. Among the devices were models valued at over R$ 8.
According to Seppen, the material was located by intelligence teams with the aid of equipment capable of identifying electronic devices operating inside the prison.
The unit houses leaders of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command).
Bangu 3 is one of the units that houses leaders of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command). According to the secretariat, the antennas could be used to try to establish alternative forms of communication and internet access.
Following the seizure, an investigation was opened to determine how the equipment entered the prison system and what its purpose was.
Blockers began operating this year.
The new signal blockers began operating in January and aim to prevent phone calls, Wi-Fi connections, and even drones from approaching prison areas.
Currently, the technology is installed in two prisons in Gericinó: Bangu 3 and the Jonas Lopes de Carvalho Prison, Bangu 4, where members of the Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) are held.
The state government's plan calls for the installation of the system in 49 prison units. The total estimated investment for the implementation of the jammers is R$ 431 million.
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