At least 132 people were killed in what is believed to be the most violent police crackdown on drug gangs in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, as grieving residents laid out dozens of bodies in the street and accused cops of a “massacre".

Around 2,500 police officers launched a raid on Rio’s most powerful criminal organisation, the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command, which commands the drug trade in several favelas. Armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones were dispatched as streets turned into warzones, with police and gang members exchanging heavy gunfire.

“The most recent update is 132 dead," the Rio state public defender’s office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, told AFP. Four police officers were also killed during the military-style operation.

Around 70 corpses wer

See Full Page