A drug boss was arrested at a clinic where he’d had his face changed in a bid to fly under the police’s radar.
Luís Carlos Lomba was arrested as he attended a follow-up appointment at the beauty clinic yesterday (13 Mar).
He had undergone facial harmonisation there in a suspected bid to go unnoticed by law enforcement.
READ MORE: Drinker murdered after being blasted in ride-by shooting outside bar
Police chief Felipe Curi told local media: “The police had been after him for years.
“He was at a clinic getting cosmetic procedures – facial harmonisation, a hair transplant since he was bald – all to avoid detection.
“He kept a low profile and avoided photos.”
Lomba – who goes by the nickname Chocolate – was arrested in Itaperuna, north east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as part of a police operation.
The operation – involving over 700 officers – has targeted fugitives wanted for robbery, robbery-homicide, and receiving stolen goods.
More than 600 people have been arrested across Rio de Janeiro state as part of the crackdown.
The police say Chocolate, 61, is one of the three most notorious criminals of the Terceiro Comando Puro.
The criminal organisation was founded 23 years ago in Rio de Janeiro’s Maré slum.
The police say Chocolate’s role was to assess the quality of the cocaine sold by the group and that he acted as a sort of chemist.
Curi said: “He had knowledge that very few in the drug trade possess. He could take one kilo of cocaine and turn it into six or seven.
“He earned around 1,000 BRL (£134) per kilo, and the volume of drugs sold in Maré is massive.”
Recently, Chocolate had trained another gang member to take over his role.
This had allowed him to move to Itaperua, where he worked remotely, issuing orders to his part of the faction.
He was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued in 2024 for participation in organised crime and robbery.
But he is under investigation for at least 35 crimes, as reported by Need To Know.
Incredibly, Chocolate’s arrest was his first, despite his alleged involvement in drug trafficking since his youth.
Curi said: “He was a long-time offender whom the police had been searching for over many years.”
READ MORE: Cruel thugs knock cyclist into ditch before robbing her
