Author: Carlos Alberto Teixeira

Source: O Globo Online - RJ - 14/11/2009

The SEOP (Municipal Secretariat of Public Order) carried out this Saturday morning Operation Shock Order against piracy, the biggest seizure of illegal products of the year. The action started at 10am on block B of the Camelódromo da Uruguaiana.

- We will not give up the criminal practice of piracy on the streets of Rio. This seizure of 12 tons, the largest of the year ever held in the city is proof of this. Our goal is to ensure urban order and legality. The street vendor who wants to work correctly will have all the support of the City Hall, but those who choose the irregularity will feel the weight of the law - affirmed the Special Secretary of Public Order, Rodrigo Bethlem, when evaluating the result of the operation.

According to SEOP's undersecretary of operations, delegate Ruchester Marreiros, who coordinated the operation, the procedure was preceded by intelligence work carried out weeks before, in which complaints were raised and investigated that some boxes registered for the sale of legalized goods were selling products. pirates.

- The purpose of the operation was to reinforce legality and not to prevent trade at the Camelódromo - said Marreiros. - After the material is taken to a City Hall deposit, it will be examined at the Carlos Éboli Institute. Then, an investigation will be opened to establish its origin, which clearly has an illegal origin. Those responsible for the irregular boxes had their license revoked to give opportunity to other traders who want to work legally.

Initially, the material was sent to the Battalion of the Municipal Guard, where the items were separated and counted.

Block B was chosen for the operation because it was the one that received the largest number of complaints and because it hid a greater amount of illegal products. However, in the future, other blocks at the Camelódromo will also be investigated.

- After the seizure, all this material will be inventoried item by item - explained the undersecretary. - This includes media (pirated CDs and DVDs), shirts, sneakers, blouses, cigarettes, glasses etc. As for electronics, we have no way of identifying whether or not they are pirates. In general, they are objects of smuggling or embezzlement, that is, crimes related to the Federal Police.

The withheld items were handed over to the Police. After the investigation is completed and the subject of prosecution, the material will be destroyed.

Box owners who were not present at the time of the seizure will be identified by the Licensing and Inspection Commission (CLF) and will respond criminally. They will also have their licenses revoked, since the goods they sell differ from those authorized by the City. In place of these traders, people will be called who are on the waiting list to exercise the activity on the spot.

- The operation employed a strong force, about 165 professionals, including members of the Civil and Military Police, Shock Battalion, Comlurb, Municipal Guard and police from the SEOP sub-secretariats of Operations and Urban Control. With this team, it was possible to implement a safe action, both for the traders and for the people who are around - he declared. - We also have ten vehicles, including Guarda buses, Choque buses and Comlurb trucks, all of which provide logistical support to the operation.

The operation coordinator estimated that more than 12 tons of material were seized. He also said that it was the first time that SEOP carried out an operation of such a size and absolutely without any turmoil, acting directly in the places where the products were sold, carrying out a well planned, efficient, fast siege and without any occurrences of violence or any reaction on the part of the fined merchants.

Despite seeing their sales hindered on a busy Saturday morning, some legal traders in block B supported the operation.

- It's a good thing for those who work the right way - said Michele Brumado, responsible for a box of computer accessories and cell phones. - This inspection reinforces the value of establishments like ours, which pay taxes on time and which suffer from unfair competition from unscrupulous traders.

Others, however, complained of heat, hunger and thirst, as they were in some way trapped in block B. Because, as determined by the authorities, whoever entered the perimeter to work in their pits could not leave until the end of the operation.

- Even worse is the loss on a Saturday as strong as today, especially at that time before Christmas, when we sell crazy, - said one of the shopkeepers who were unable to sell because of the block B ban.

With the removal of sealed bags containing seized material, taken by Comlurb street sweepers to trucks waiting on Rua Uruguaiana, some passers-by were unable to contain a comment typical of regular consumers of pirated goods.

- Ah, there goes my “Call of Duty” - said a young video game aficionado who was watching the retreat, referring to the title “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” recently released and record sales in the history of computer games , quickly pirated item worldwide and already on sale at pirate street vendor stalls at Camelódromo.