Institute of Public Security (ISP) data showed that in July, the state of Rio recorded 2,390 cellphone robberies and 4,058 thefts, a historic record for thefts since 2003. In the South Zone, Leblon had 173 thefts, behind only Barra da Tijuca (305) and downtown Mem de Sá (302), followed by Praça da Bandeira and Catete. In 2025 so far, there have been 15,567 robberies and 26,689 thefts, increases of up to 52% compared to 2024. Since May, Operation Rastreio has seized 4,700 devices and began returning 1,400 on 22 July, with ongoing investigations supported by the Celular Seguro RJ app launched on 1 July.
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08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), Ariane Carvalho da Silva, 41, was killed after being struck while standing on the sidewalk of Estrada dos Bandeirantes in Vargem Pequena, West Zone, shortly after dropping her 3-year-old son at daycare. Three other people were injured. The driver, former Botafogo player Luan Plácido Moreira da Costa, 21, was initially arrested for bodily injury, resistance, contempt, and damage to public property after assaulting police officers at the scene and at the station.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), two British university students were victims of the “Boa noite Cinderella” scam (spiked drink scam) in Ipanema, South Zone, after meeting three women at a samba gathering in Lapa. The suspects allegedly drugged the victims, stole their phones, and made purchases totaling around R$14,600. Security footage shows one victim collapsing on the sand while the women fled in a taxi. The suspects, identified as sex workers with prior records for similar crimes, operate in Rio’s main tourist spots.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), Rio de Janeiro police seized 40 card machines, two motorcycles, and uniforms in Vidigal, South Zone, during an operation against the “fake exam” scam. Criminals, using stolen patient data, posed as lab staff to deliver supposed test results via couriers, charging small fees on card machines programmed for high-value transactions. One victim avoided a R$19,999.99 loss after her bank blocked the payment, while another lost nearly R$7,000. The gang, previously arrested in February, caused R$1.5 million in damages in two months by purchasing patient data from the deep web.
08/08/2025 – On Friday at noon (08/08), security cameras captured an armed robbery in Ramos, North Zone. Two men on a motorcycle approached an elderly woman on Rua Uranos; one got off, threatened her with a gun, and tried to snatch her bag. The victim resisted and was dragged several meters before the assailant escaped with the bag. According to the Military Police, the 22nd BPM has made about 400 arrests in the area this year and reinforced patrols through targeted operations, despite ISP data showing a 33% drop in street robberies compared to the first half of 2014.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), in Vila Valqueire, West Zone, three men attempted to steal a penal officer’s car on Rua Azaleia, leading to a shootout. The officer was shot in the leg but returned fire, wounding one assailant in the shoulder and leg. Police responding to reports of the assault found the officer injured and the suspect on the ground. A revolver and ski mask were seized.
09/08/2025 – On Saturday (09/08), police seized an arsenal of ten firearms, ammunition, and equipment for large-scale reloading at a luxury condominium in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, West Zone. The weapons were found in the home of a man previously convicted of international arms trafficking and stripped of his collector’s license in November 2024. Despite being required to surrender all weapons within 90 days, he kept them illegally. The seized arsenal included pistols, revolvers, carbines, a restricted-use rifle, and full reloading machinery.
10/08/2025 – On Sunday (10/08), an eight-month-old baby died in Realengo, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, after allegedly choking while drinking from a bottle during the night. According to the Civil Police, the child and her five-year-old brother were left alone in a dirty, unsanitary home with no easily accessible food for the older sibling. Witnesses reported hearing the boy cry throughout the night and said their mother frequently abandoned them to go out, including on the night of the accident, when she stayed away for over six hours. Upon returning from a funk party around 8:30, the mother found the baby unresponsive and took her to a local emergency unit, where she was pronounced dead. She was arrested on the spot and charged with abandonment of a dependent resulting in death, while the boy was placed under the care of the Guardianship Council.
11/08/2025 – On Monday (11/08), Rio’s Child and Adolescent Victim Police Unit (DCAV) arrested a man for possessing child pornography, including an image of his niece. Investigators tracked him to an INSS office in downtown Rio, where he presented a private investigator ID claiming expertise in pedophilia cases—allegedly from a course he took. Police say he used this role to gain victims’ trust and already had a record for the same crime. Pornographic material involving minors was found on his phone. Authorities are working to identify other possible victims.
11/08/2025 – On Monday (11/08), a man was caught on video brutally assaulting a woman on Avenida Santa Cruz, in Realengo, West Zone. Footage shows him pushing her to the ground, pulling her by the hair, punching and kicking her while she lay on the sidewalk, then returning to shake her by the face. Residents say this is not the first time he has attacked women and that he intimidates neighbors by invoking the names of local criminals to prevent them from calling the police. The police are investigating and seeking to identify the suspect.
11/08/2025 – On Monday night (11/08), influencer Renato Azevedo had his phone stolen while livestreaming on Avenida Brasil, near the Transolímpica in Realengo, West zone. Two men posing as street vendors approached his car, sold him snacks, and engaged in casual conversation. One suspect distracted him while the other suddenly grabbed the phone from his hand and fled. The theft, witnessed live by his followers, was caught on video. Military Police arrested the pair shortly afterward near the Batan favela in Realengo and recovered the device.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday morning (12/08), Civil Police carried out an operation in the Gogó de Guadalupe area, in the Chapadão complex, Anchieta, North Zone, arresting five Red Command’s (CV) traffickers. Among them was a man identified as the faction’s main vehicle dismantler. Officers discovered a chop shop, seizing rifle magazines, over 10 kg of drugs, and recovering 17 stolen vehicles. The action was part of the second phase of Operation Torniquete, targeting theft, cargo and vehicle fencing, and other crimes funding gang activities. Since September 2024, over 590 arrests and R$40 million in recovered goods have been recorded.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday morning (12/08), the Federal Police arrested a couple at the luxury Sheraton Hotel in Vidigal, South Zone, during Operation Caffeine Break, targeting the diversion of legal-market chemicals to drug trafficking. Authorities allege the pair were involved in moving tons of caffeine from factories to criminal groups, where it was mixed into cocaine and synthetic drugs. The operation, ordered by the 3rd Federal Court of São José dos Campos, included 20 temporary arrest warrants, 51 search and seizure orders, and the blocking or seizure of assets worth up to R$72 million. Investigators say at least 550 tons of caffeine were acquired with false invoices.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday (12/08), in Irajá, North Zone, an off-duty military police officer was shot in the mouth and chest during an attempted robbery while inside his car. The attack happened near the cemetery and around the same time colleagues were burying PM Cabo Paulo Rogério da Costa Lopes Filho and his father, killed two days earlier in Nova Iguaçu. Initial reports indicate the assailants recognized him as a police officer before firing.
13/08/2025 – On Wednesday (13/08), Rio de Janeiro Civil Police launched Operation “Rota Falsa” to dismantle a fraud scheme that caused Uber a loss of about R$115,000. According to the Defrauding Division, two suspects allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake driver and passenger accounts, enabling nearly 2,000 fraudulent trips. Around 70 driver profiles were forged, many using digitally altered photos to bypass Uber’s identity verification. Most “passengers” abandoned unpaid accounts after inflating fares with multiple stops, while the “drivers” still received full payment via Pix. The operation executed five search warrants, and police are now investigating possible accomplices. Uber’s anti-fraud systems detected the scheme and reported it, collaborating with authorities.
13/08/2025 – Civil and Military Police carried out an operation on Wednesday (13/08), in the Gardênia Azul community, West Zone, to curb the territorial expansion of the Red Command (CV). Two suspects were killed in clashes, a third — a fugitive from Bahia suspected of cargo theft and assault on a public prosecutor — was injured, and three others were arrested. Officers seized two rifles, a pistol, a revolver, ammunition, grenades, and a notebook with drug trafficking records. The action, part of “Operation Contenção,” aims to dismantle the gang’s financial, logistical, and operational structure in the region, enforce arrest warrants, and force the faction’s retreat from Gardênia Azul.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, civil police arrested two men from São Paulo accused of carrying out the “fake medical exam” scam targeting elderly victims. The pair obtained confidential medical data, contacted victims claiming their test results showed anomalies, and offered home delivery, demanding payment by debit card to then carry out fraudulent transactions. They were caught in a luxury condominium with card machines and fake exam envelopes. One tried to flee on a motorcycle but was apprehended.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Rio das Pedras, West Zone, a stray bullet struck a 7-year-old boy during a physical education class at Municipal School Professora Marisa Vargas Menezes. The projectile hit his buttocks and exited through the groin. He was taken to the hospital. The city’s Education Department stated there was no police operation in the area at the time. According to Instituto Fogo Cruzado, 12 children aged 0–11 have been shot in Greater Rio in 2025, resulting in two deaths and ten injuries.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Cascadura, North Zone, an unidentified woman was found dead on Rua Cametá with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Her body was wrapped in a bedsheet, and she was wearing a black top and black pants, with tattoos on her left arm, neck, and chest. Military police from the 9th BPM responded, and the Capital Homicide Division conducted forensic work at the scene. The case is under investigation.
