Rio prison director shot dead

By Jan Rocha In Sao Paulo

Police are investigating the murder of the director of a top security prison in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, Bangu Tres.

Abel Silveirio was the second high-ranking prison officer to be shot dead in two weeks.

Last week an inmate at the prison - where all 792 inmates are convicted members of one of Brazil's most notorious crime organisations, the Red Command - was found strangled to death.

Abel Silveirio, was shot dead as he drove home from Bangu Tres - armed men in two vehicles wearing black hoods intercepted his car as he drove down one of Rio's busiest avenues and shot him many times.

The chief of security at the same prison was shot dead in the same street two weeks ago.

And just a week ago one of the best known inmates of Bangu Tres, a man convicted for drug trafficking known as Marcinho VP, was found strangled to death in the prison.

Police and prison authorities have now come up with several possible motives for these crimes.

The prison director recently introduced stricter rules. Marcinho VP, the prisoner, gave information to a journalist for a book about organised crime in Rio.

The common factor in all the crimes is the Red Command.

Leaders of the criminal organisation - both those still at large and those inside the prison - do not like the new, stricter rules that make it more difficult for them to go on organising crimes from within the prison.

And, they do not like prisoners who talk to journalists.