Posted on 11/1/2005, 6:56:05 AM by ncountylee
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A Rio de Janeiro gangster who claimed the throne of a drug kingpin killed on Saturday was himself slain after only a two-day reign, shanty town residents said on Monday.
Police were looking for corpses of the gangster Orlando Rodrigues, known as Soul, and four henchmen after being tipped off the killings were the result of a power struggle for control of the drugs trade in Rio's biggest slum, Rocinha.
"All the information comes from the residents of the slum. So far no bodies have been found and we cannot confirm the deaths, but search will continue," a police spokesman said.
Slum residents are often the primary source of information about murders in the shanty towns that are not regularly patrolled by police, who say these reports rarely prove wrong.
According to local media, witnesses said intense gunfire broke out in Rocinha before dawn on Monday though it was not clear if that was when he was killed, for sporadic shooting has been heard since Saturday.
Quoting residents, Agencia Estado news agency said Soul was killed on the orders of two of his own men, known as Nem and Joca, who had now assumed control after the "coup d'etat".
Police have occupied Rocinha to search for the corpses.
Police killed Soul's predecessor, Erismar Moreira, known as Bem-Te-Vi, early on Saturday morning after raiding Rocinha to arrest him.
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
It's good to be the Ki-BANG!
ping.
If the Brazilians had just voted for the recent gun ban ballot, these poor souls could have been saved.
YEAH
Who they blame for this guy death KARL ROVE
OMG Karl Rove is new Scarface
In this case, being on top really means being six feet under.
I can see a book coming out, "Lead and the Kingpin".
hehhehheh
Boo
frickin'
hoo.
This guy was freekin' Brazilliant.
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