Rio De Janeiro — Police and military forces arrested 23 people on Wednesday in a series of raids in violence-plagued parts of Rio de Janeiro two days before the city's famed Carnival celebrations.
Rio police said most of the arrests were made in City of God, a violent area in the west end of the city.
Security forces also staged operations in two slums that are strategic to drug traffickers — the Rocinha favela close to the posh neighbourhoods of Ipanema and Leblon and the Complexo da Mare district by Rio's international airport.
The raids came a day after three key arteries of the city were blocked by rival gangs fighting over territory.
Rio will host Brazil's most famous Carnival bash from Friday to Tuesday.
