Civil police officers from the Robbery and Theft Division (DRF) carried out an operation to dismantle a gang involved in theft and robbery of copper and fiber optic cables. The police are seeking to seize at least R$200 million in assets and values. The group is said to be sophisticated and involved in money laundering and has links to the Red Command (CV), the second-largest gang in Brazil. During the operation, 200 tons of this metal were found in one facility in Campo Grande, Rio.
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The Crime
According to the investigations, the robberies occurred during the early hours of the morning. Armed scouts on motorcycles, linked to drug trafficking, accompanied the trucks. They used the vehicles to forcibly remove large quantities of underground cables, destroying the infrastructure. Technicians with specialized knowledge who worked for legitimate companies were enticed to carry out the work. In the gang’s territory, the copper was stored, treated, and de-characterized for resale. The stolen material was sold to scrapyards and metalworking companies in Rio and São Paulo. The group is believed to have at least 22 members and five were arrested.
Damages
One of the targets of this gang, the Light – Rio’s energy distributor –, recorded 135 kilometers of wires stolen from its underground galleries between 2024 and April 2025. The criminal actions caused, among other damages, interruptions in the supply of electricity, oscillations, and even overloads of the system.
Neighborhoods
In the first four months of 2025 alone, 58,000 meters of cables were stolen. Those who felt the most inconvenience caused by the thieves were the residents of neighborhoods in the South Zone, Downtown, and Barra da Tijuca. Last year, the neighborhoods with the most cases were Downtown, Copacabana, Leblon, and Ipanema. Conexis, a union that brings together telecommunications companies, revealed that, in 2022, telephone companies had more than 504,000 meters of cables stolen in the State of Rio. In 2023, thieves stole 137,643 meters of wires. The last count of the sector was made in the first half of 2024, with 50,198 meters.
Analysis:
The connection between copper cable theft and robbery gangs and large factions reinforces the understanding that these groups, traditionally linked to drug trafficking, are implementing alternative sources of income.
These groups have realized the strategic advantage that exploiting other sources of income presents. Drug trafficking only brings them returns when selling drugs to a comparatively restricted group of consumers. At the same time, services such as selling gas cylinders, charging taxes to businesses, charging “protection” fees to residents, operating internet and cable TV services, cargo and vehicle thefts, and metals such as copper mean a greater and more consistent flow of resources.
In addition, it means that, in the face of losses caused by police operations due to the seizure of drugs and weapons, the faction will not be as financially harmed. In the context of Rio de Janeiro, where several rival groups fight for control of territories and resources, this proves to be essential for survival.
On the other hand, the expansion of such practices, historically linked to militias, poses greater risks to citizens and businesses, which are increasingly suffering from harassment, extortion and other crimes against property.
At the same time, security forces will also have to adapt their strategies, understanding that operations to confront and seize drugs and weapons will likely have reduced impact. Thus, the fight against such groups should focus on intelligence strategies to hunt down and seize financial resources, as well as the arrest of individuals who are key to the operation and leadership of the factions.
