A man was arrested suspected of extortion after charging $ 250 for tourists from Santa Catarina, in Largo do Lighthouse Barra, in Salvador, for the body painting service. Mother and son, 66 and 35, said they were coerced to pay the high amount in cash without any price before had been agreed.
The Military Police were called by the victims and, through the Tourist Police Battalion (BPTUR) team, arrested the suspect last Friday (7).
According to the report registered by the Civil Police, tourists were on site when they were approached by two men who aggressively held their arms and made tribal paintings without consent.
The PMs were able to stop one of them, which was taken to the Tourist Protection Police Station (Deltur), where the case was registered and is still investigated to identify all suspects.
This type of body painting is characteristic of the band Timbalada and associated with an old band tradition, which draws white tribal symbols on the body during the shows. The group performed at Barra this Friday. Even when there are no shows in the city, tourists often paint their body when they visit the Bahian capital.
Some approaches are often friendly, but other complaints have already been made about high amounts for a work that is offered in a “supposedly free” way.
The City Hall, through the Municipal Secretariat of Public Order (Semop), states that there is no price table stipulated for these informal workers, but there must be a common sense between the two parts.
