Brazilian authorities have arrested 10 people who are thought to have been plotting terror attacks during the upcoming Rio Olympics.
The games begin less than three weeks from now, with the opening ceremony due to take place on August 5, and the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro had earlier warned of potential security concerns similar to those faced by London in the lead-up to the 2012 games.
The BBC cites claims from authorities that the alleged plotters – all of whom are Brazilian nationals – tried to make contact with the so-called Islamic State. However none of the 10 people arrested are believed be directly connected to the terror group.
According to reports, the arrests were made in the state of Paraná, which recently played host to UFC 198, headlined by the heavyweight title clash between Stipe Miocic and Fabricio Werdum.
Reuters reports that Brazil was already on high-alert following the terror attack in Nice last week, introducing additional roadblocks and security cordons in an effort to ramp up security ahead of the games.
However, it is understood that the alleged plotters were caught after federal police in Brazil monitored activity over online messaging platforms.
An emergency cabinet meeting has reportedly been called in response to the arrests.
