Former army corporal arrested for illegal weapons manufacturing project specializes in rifles and also received manufacturing training

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The action was coordinated by the Arms, Ammunition and Explosives (Disarmament) Specialized Police Department and supported by the Paraná State Civil Police. In Rio de Janeiro, two factories used in this project were discovered, one in Nova Iguazu and the other in Japelli, also in Baixada.

The investigation revealed that Kotrim, known as “Professor,” taught how to make weapons to other turners, criminals who wanted to learn techniques to make, modify and enhance weapons.

The company said Kotrim received monthly payments from paramilitary groups for services rendered and sold weapons for between 50,000 and 60,000 reais, depending on the caliber. He was in charge of a factory in Nova Iguazu where the rifle was seized, which police suspect was used by paramilitary groups and maintained in a secret space.

— Carlos is a former military man who served on a mission in Haiti and is an accomplished machinist who specializes in making rifles and ammunition. These weapons were sold to militias for between 50,000 and 60,000 reais, depending on the caliber. He was arrested here and we are inspecting their factory, said representative Luis Otavio Franco.

Civilian police face difficulties transporting machinery used to manufacture weapons. One of the pieces of equipment weighs 2.8 tonnes and will require experts to dismantle. Deletion should only be done on Friday.

The Army reported in a memo that Carlos Enrique Martins Cotlin “served in 2004 and was licensed in 2013, so he no longer belongs to the military staff.”

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As of this morning, five people had been arrested, four in Rio and one in Paraná. The investigation was conducted in both states and is intended to comply with search and seizure warrants. According to civilian police, weapons arsenals produced in the illegal scheme were supplied to both militias and drug traffickers.

In addition to Carlos Enrique, Jerónimo Amaral de Oliveira, who was also arrested in the operation, also directly participated in the weapons production project.

On Gobernador Island, weapons and ammunition, including a rocket launcher known as a bazooka, were discovered in the home of Hamilton de Souza Gonçalves. The weapons were registered as belonging to collectors, sport shooters, and hunters (CAC), but all had unusual circumstances. Evandro Ruiz de Oliveira Araujo from Rio and Márcio Marcelo Ivanculo from Paraná were also arrested.

The operation is ongoing and so far weapons have been seized including four pistols, five revolvers, one shotgun, one rocket launcher, two rifles, one 12-gauge shotgun and one .22-caliber rifle. Additionally, hundreds of rounds of ammunition were also collected. A rifle was seized at the Nova Iguazu factory, and police believe the weapon was used by paramilitary groups and maintained in a secret space. In Paraná state, where two addresses were targeted, police estimate that more than 50 weapons have been recovered and will need to be brought to Rio. In the state, the group only manufactured ammunition.

*Intern under the supervision of Leila Youssef.