Brazilian authorities have arrested 16 military police on suspicion of extorting bribes from suspected drug traffickers and other offences, authorities said Thursday.

The arrests stem from a raid carried out earlier this year in northern Rio in which two suspected drug traffickers were captured but later released.

The police were alleged to have received a 300,000 reais ($125,340) bribe to release the drug traffickers, the Rio state security office said.

Besides the extortion racket, the police are accused of stealing watches and gold chains and of selling 140,000 reais worth of weapons to traffickers.