The alleged suspects, including a teenager, used “fake profiles” on social networks to go through “members of the Lady Gaga community of followers, known worldwide as’ Little Monsters”, “said the Brazilian Ministry of Justice.
A Brazilian court ruled on Monday pre-trial detention to the alleged leader of a group investigated for allegedly planning an attack with home explosives during the Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro.
The suspect, who was not identified, was arrested on Sunday in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and released hours later, after paying bail. On Monday, he was arrested again, after not attending a scheduled judicial hearing.
The warrant of detention was issued by Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Strategic Management Center of the Penitentiary System (NUGESP), which stated that the suspect was in possession of three weapons, according to a note from the Rio Grande do Sul Court of Justice.
In the argument, the judge emphasized the importance of combating hate discourse “to build a more just, safe and democratic society.”
On Sunday, the Rio de Janeiro State Civil Police announced the operation and detention of two people, including the alleged person responsible for the operation and one teenager, who was arrested in Rio.
Operation “Fake Monster”
The operation was performed simultaneously in 13 properties in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso.
The investigation identified that suspects recruited people over the internet to “promote attacks on the use of makeshift explosives.”
Os Alleged suspects used “fake profiles” on social networks to go through “members of the Lady Gaga community of followers, known worldwide as ‘Little Monsters’ [Pequenos Monstros]”the Ministry of Justice said in a statement, which collaborated in the operation.
Authorities indicated that the group tried to attack during the US singer concert, which attracted about 2.1 million people to Copacabana beach to “gain notoriety on social networks” and the scope of a challenge.
“The network promoted the radicalization of adolescents, the dissemination of hate crimes,” especially against the LGBTI community, “self -harm and violent content as a form of belonging and challenge among young people,” the Ministry of Justice noted.
The operation, called “Fake Monster”, was motivated by a warning from the Rio de Janeiro Police Intelligence Department, which “identified digital cells aimed at inducing violent conduct in young people through encrypted languages and challenges with extremist symbology.”
Lady Gaga gave a free concert at Copacabana beach, which lasted about two hours and was held under strong security, involving about 5,000 agents.
