By Douglas Perry
The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
A Brazilian gang leader’s attempted jailbreak on Saturday had all the hallmarks of a thriller movie -- except, perhaps, for the ending.
During visiting hours at the Rio de Janeiro prison where he’s being held, Clauvino da Silva donned a bra, a pink T-shirt, skinny jeans, eyeglasses and a wig. He also pulled over his head a relatively realistic-looking silicone mask that adhered tightly to his face and neck. The objective: to make himself look like his visiting 19-year-old daughter so he could stroll out of prison.
It didn’t work. Da Silva, described by The Independent as “a feared leader of Rio de Janeiro’s Red Command gang,” was pulled aside by guards as he headed for the exit. Piece by piece they removed his disguise, with the full-head mask coming off last.
Apparently it wasn’t the blank expression the mask offered that tipped off the guards. Instead, the drug lord’s body language indicated he was nervous.
A spokesperson for the prison authority added: “Even though he had the face of a girl, he didn’t move like a woman.”
Da Silva is serving a 73-year prison sentence for various crimes.
Watch the BBC video below showing the prison guards discovering da Silva beneath his disguise.
©2019 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)