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With the risk of ISIS terror attacks at its highest ever and the Olympics taking part in a city where kidnappings and violent crime are rife, security forces are taking no chances over the safety of British athletes .

An undercover SAS Special Projects Team has been flown into Rio to protect our stars.

And a squad of crack troops is on standby in central America to fly in at a moment’s notice to prevent or deal with any terror incidents.

A ring of steel has also been thrown around the Olympic village with 85,000 troops, police and private guards on patrol at all times, airport-style security scanners the main entrance and stringent checks for anyone going into the accommodation.

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It is the biggest security operation in the history of the Games .

Former SAS hero Chris Ryan claimed the fact special forces have bodies on the ground in Rio means the chance of some sort of attack is high.

He also said it is likely the SAS will be teaming up with crack Brazilian kidnap squads, who helped free Bernie ­Ecclestone ’s mother-in-law Aparecida Schunck, 67, after she was snatched with a £28million ransom demand on her head.

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But the biggest fear is a repeat of the 1972 Olympic massacre in Munich where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by ­Palestinian terrorists .

A source said: “A number of ‘liaison’ officers have been working with Team GB staff in Rio for three or four weeks.

"If a major situation occurs they can then work with the Brazilian government and offer assistance.

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“They are first response in the Olympic village and as a last resort, and if they are in a position to do so, they will deal with it.”

Ryan, now an author and security expert, added: “They have been doing this since the Seoul ­Olympics in 1988 when I was in the SPT.

“If there’s a team on the ground they are working on some very strong information that something is going to happen.

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"SPT are more than capable of taking on anything, whether it be a Mumbai or Paris-style attack.

"They would go through them like a dose of salts. An anti-terror team will liaise with the Brazilian security services.

“They will also assessing the security of the Brit athletes, looking at the routes they will be travelling, the ­vehicles they are being driven in, their ­accommodation security and obviously the whole Olympic village.

(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they are working with Batalhao de Operacoes Policiais Especiais, the paramilitary unit that go into the favelas.

"I have worked with them and they are very good. They deal with sieges, possible kidnapping and at the worst end of the scale, terrorists attacks.

“As well as that you’ve got a lot of gangs over there and there’s a high risk of kidnap for ransom.

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“Brazil can be a dangerous place from the beaches back to the favelas.”

As Home Secretary, PM Theresa May had been closely involved in ­government planning for the protection of Team GB stars since the 2012 ­Olympics in London .

And MoD chiefs have worked with their Brazilian counterparts on what can be learned from that experience.

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The Brazilian government are aware British special forces are in Rio.

But stars such as Tom Daley , Andy Murray and Jessica Ennis-Hill will not know their real identities.

Ryan said: “There is no need for them to know. There’s no reason to ­introduce yourself as an SAS soldier.”

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While the Olympic village and main venues such as the Maracana are well guarded, places further afield are not.

The SAS team have spent the past few weeks concentrating on how best to protect athletes at venues including sailing and equestrian events.

The MoD said: “We don’t comment on Special Forces.”

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Brazilian authorities are worried about the terror threat, criminal gangs and street protests against poverty and corruption in a country, where, according to a recent survey, 63% of people oppose the Games – hence the huge security presence.

The number is double that used in London.

Hundreds of Team GB stars are housed in a multi-storey tower block near the entrance to the park.

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There has been a spate of thefts from the village and security has been beefed up.

Light fittings, lamps, mirrors, even toilet seats were stolen and many of the 3,604 flats were left with faulty water, gas or electricity supplies in the run-up to the Games.

Last month, nine men and one boy who had pledged allegiance to IS were held in Brazil.