Before he became involved in drug trafficking, Lopes worked as a delivery boy for a magazine company.
[5] Lopes lived in a luxurious 3-storey mansion in Rio and earned a reputation for his parties and relationships with many celebrities.
On 10 November 2011, police arrested Lopes, who was hiding inside a Toyota Corolla, heading out of Rocinha.
[6] Lopes attempted to bribe the police $570,000 but they refused, while the driver claimed diplomatic immunity.
[8] Journalist and historian Misha Glenny has written the biography of Lopes, Nem: The Hunt for Brazil's Most Wanted Criminal.