Rio police conquer the City of God

A man walks by a shanty in Cidade de Deus Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

A still from the film City of God, filmed at the Cidade de Deus slum in Rio de Janeiro, a violent epic about drug gangs Photograph: Allstar

Rubens Sabino da Silva, 19, an actor from the Brazilian movie City of God, is arrested, in real life, after allegedly stealing a womans purse Photograph: Ricardo Leoni/AP

Children walk by a pool of raw sewage in Cidade de Deus Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Cidade de Deus, 9 January: Police claim that they have now conquered the famous favela Photograph: Domingos Peixoto/Agencia O Globo

A cyclist rides along a dirt road under a tangle of electrical cables Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Cidade de Deus, 9 January: Police claim that they have now conquered the slum made famous by the film, City of God Photograph: Domingos Peixoto/Agencia O Globo

Cidade de Deus, 9 January: A child watches one of the police officers involved in the operation to rid the favela of drugs gangs Photograph: Domingos Peixoto/Agencia O Globo

Cidade de Deus, 12 January: Residents hold a banner which reads: 'We are mourning. They are killing our community. Help!' Photograph: Marcos Tristao/Agencia O Globo

Cidade de Deus, 13 January: Rio police hoist the Brazilian flag above the City of God shanty town, claiming they have now conquered the slum Photograph: Hipolito Pereira/Agencia O Globo