Brazilian police arrested ten people Thursday who were suspected of being part of a group supporting the Islamic State that was readying terrorist attacks on the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said.
Federal police have also ordered the detention of two others associated with the group.
Moraes said the group had planned to obtain weapons "to commit crimes" in the country and abroad, Reuters reported.
The group did not have direct ties to ISIS, but some of its members allegedly pledged allegiance to the terrorist group through social media. The BBC reported that the group attempted to make contact with ISIS.
"Those involved participated in an online group denominated ‘the defenders of Sharia’ and were planning to acquire weapons to commit crimes in Brazil and even overseas," Moraes told reporters.
"It was an absolutely amateur cell, with no preparation at all, a disorganized cell," he added.
The minister said the alleged attack was in a preparatory stage and no specific target had been identified.
The Rio Olympics are set to kick off in Brazil on Aug. 5. The country’s intelligence agency said Tuesday it was investigating threats to the games after a Brazilian Islamist group pledged allegiance to ISIS on a Telegram channel.
Hundreds of thousands of athletes and tourists are expected to descend on Rio in two weeks. The police have been placed on high alert to prepare for potential copycat attacks after several assaults have rocked European cities.