A bomb plot targeting over 2 million people attending a free Lady Gaga concert in Brazil has been thwarted, according to investigating police.
BBC reported Sunday that a group aligning itself with Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” fanbase attempted to recruit and radicalize teenage participants for a coordinated attack on concertgoers with “improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails” at Copacabana beach in Rio. The BBC reported that the plot was deemed “Operation Fake Monster” by the group, according to information uncovered by Rio state police intelligence.
In online forums, the group reportedly pushed violence and self-harm “as a form of belonging and challenge among young people.”
A suspect believed to be the mastermind behind the plot was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, CNN reported. A teenager believed to be involved was also detained in Rio de Janeiro for storing child pornography.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state said it is collaborating with the Justice Ministry to investigate the plot after a tip-off from the Rio state police intelligence.
To locate the suspects, authorities executed over a dozen search and seizure warrants across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Additionally, more than 5,000 police officers were deployed to be sure the concert went on without a hitch on Saturday.
Concertgoers were made to pass through metal detectors, and drones and facial recognition cameras were also put in place for added security, CNN reported.
“You waited for more than 10 years for me,” Lady Gaga told the roaring crowd as she held out a Brazilian flag.
The concert, paid for by the city of Rio, is expected to generate an estimated $100 million for its economy, BBC reported.
In a follow-up Instagram post, Gaga gushed over the night.
“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show—the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil,” she captioned pictures from the night.
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