26 Corinthians, Palmeiras fans arrested for violent fight

Brazil's police detained 26 people on Friday related to the "devious organized" groups of violent fans from Corinthians and Palmeiras, two clubs in the city of Sao Paulo.

In the operation against the violent fans from the Corinthians and Palmeiras soccer clubs, 62,000 reais (around 18,000 US dollars), weapons, cellphones and computers were confiscated.

The fans from Corinthians and Palmeiras faced each other on April 3 at various sites in Sao Paulo ahead of the match between the two teams. One person was killed in their brawl.

Sao Paulo's Security Ministry issued 31 search and arrest warrants on the Corinthians' fans club "Gavioes da Fiel" and Palmeiras' "Mancha Verde".

At the "Gavioes da Fiel" headquarter, the police found a suitcase with knives while in the cellphones found at "Mancha Verde" headquarter there were messages that corroborate their members participated in the incidents on April 3.

Coffins were also found with the names Fernando Capez (president of the Sao Paulo's Legislative Assembly), Andres Sanchez (parliament representative and former Corinthians president), the Paulista Football Federation (FPF - Sao Paulo's governing soccer body) and the television network Globo.

The serious incidents between the two groups of fans caused the regional authorities to declare that from now on visiting fans can not be present whenever a match is played in the state of Sao Paulo.

The fights in various parts of Sao Paulo left a man who had nothing to do with either of the violent groups dead, who was shot in the heart.

Source: XINHUA