Data from the Public Security Institute (ISP) showed that 73,076 scams were registered in the state of Rio from January to June 2024. The number is 24% higher than the same period in 2023, when there were 58,796 registered scams. The ISP figures additionally show that many victims are from the West Zone of Rio, additionally, the scams occur in person and online.
This Content Is Only For Subscribers
To unlock this content, subscribe to INTERLIRA Reports.
The first six months of 2024 were marked by a drop in the rates of armed violence in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Police actions continue to be the main reason for the mapped records. The data are part of the semiannual report of the Instituto Fogo Cruzado. With an average of seven records per day, the first half of 2024 accumulated 1,346 shootings/gunshots in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. The number indicates a drop of 24%, compared to the same period in 2023, which accumulated 1,777 shootings. This is the lowest number of shootings recorded in the first half of the year in the historical series of Fogo Cruzado. The drop in shootings is also reflected in the number of dead and injured. Among the shootings mapped from January to June, there was police participation in 450 of them, which represents 33% of the records. In this first semester, 732 people were shot: 370 died and 362 were injured. There was a drop of 36% among the dead and 32% among the injured compared to the same period in 2023, which accumulated 1,109 shots, with 578 dead and 531 injured. 55% of the victims of gunfire were hit during police actions/operations. The city of Rio de Janeiro concentrated 71% of the shootings, 57% of the dead, and 59% of the injured.
July data from the Public Security Institute, released this Thursday (22), show that cases of intentional homicide, violent lethality, and cargo theft fell in 2024 compared to last year’s data. However, they also indicate an increase in vehicle and cell phone thefts in the state. In the accumulated between January and July, there was a 17% drop in cases of violent lethality: 2,203 in 2024, against 2670 cases in 2023. Intentional homicides registered a drop of 13.7% compared to last year. In the case of cargo thefts, the decrease recorded was in the period of the first seven months of the year: in 2024, 1474, against 2226 in 2023. The increase in vehicle thefts was 93% in July 2024 compared to last year: 2254, against 1165 in 2023. 3,683 weapons were seized, an average of 17 weapons per day, and 14,430 records of drugs were seized, an average of 68 seizures per day, representing an increase of 7% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to statistics from the Institute of Public Security (ISP), in the first seven months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, the rates of cell phone and pedestrian theft skyrocketed in the areas of the 10th DP (Botafogo), the 15th DP (Gávea) and the 9th DP (Catete). In the area under the responsibility of the Botafogo police station, which also includes the neighborhoods of Humaitá and Urca, cell phone theft jumped 94% from January to July this year, compared to the same period in 2023. Robberies of pedestrians rose 64%. In neighboring neighborhoods, such as Catete, Laranjeiras, Flamengo, and Glória, the incidents also increased. The police station in the area, the 9th DP (Catete), recorded 297 cell phone thefts (an increase of 38% compared to the same period in 2023) and 1,121 thefts (an increase of 10.9%). The number of robberies on pedestrians also grew from 341 to 526, 54% more. Also in the South Zone, in the area of the 15th DP (Gávea), cell phone theft rose 152.8% from January to July this year, compared to the same period in 2023. 134 records were made at the police station in 2024, compared to 53 in the first seven months of last year. Robbery of passersby also increased.
02/08/2024 – A fake app driver was arrested on Friday (2) after he carried out a scam on an Ecuadorian family of almost R$11,000 in the South Zone of Rio. The tourists were approached by the suspect, who claimed he worked for an app after they left Christ the Redeemer. According to the victims they arranged a ride to Parque Lage for R$20; however, upon arrival, the suspect refused to accept cash and swiped a machine three times, with three cards, and claimed the purchase had not been made. When the victims checked their accounts, they realized the suspect had debited US$1,885.
04/08/2024 – A delegate from the Civil Police of RJ was shot, on Sunday night (4), during an attempted robbery on Avenida Francisco Bicalho, near the Instituto Médico-Legal (IML), in the central region of Rio. According to Military Police, the victim was walking along the road when he was approached by criminals and shot in the hand. It is not clear if the victim reacted to the approach.
04/08/2024 – A boy and a pharmacy delivery man were shot dead on Sunday night (4) in a shootout by bandits from the Red Command (CV) at a party taking place in the rival community of Morro do Macacos, in Vila Isabel, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. According to residents of the community, drug traffickers from CV tried again to invade Morro dos Macacos, which is controlled by Third Pure Command (TCP), on Sunday night.
05/08/2024 – On Monday (5), a car with a grenade inside exploded in Morro do Dendê, on Ilha do Governador. The Civil Police are investigating whether criminals from Red Command (CV) placed the explosive device to injure rival drug traffickers in the community. One man was injured in the explosion.
05/08/2024 – A man died after trying to steal cables on top of a train at Supervia ‘s Madureira Station, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, on Monday morning (5). Passengers recorded the body on the train. Supervia says it identified the attempted theft of cables at the Japeri branch and called the Fire Department; however, when the firefighters arrived the suspect was dead.
05/08/2024 – A man, who is considered to be one of the leaders of a militia that operates in Baixada Fluminense, was arrested on Monday (5) while he was leaving Complexo da Maré. According to the investigation, the suspect had ties to drug traffickers from the Third Pure Command (TCP). The faction, according to the police, supplies weapons and men to the paramilitary group. In exchange, the militia authorizes the sale of drugs in Seropédica.
05/08/2024 – A couple, suspected of raping a 7-year-old child and recording child pornographic content, was arrested in Campo Grande on Monday (5). According to police officers from the Child and Adolescent Victims Police Station (DCAV), the victim is the daughter of the arrested woman. The two were arrested after suspicions were raised by the child’s maternal grandmother who, according to the police, witnessed the couple in the bedroom with her granddaughter performing sexual acts.
06/08/2024 – A suspect died during an attempted robbery at a bus stop on Avenida Francisco Bicalho in downtown Rio, on Tuesday morning (6). The other robber was arrested by Military Police (PM) officers who were passing by the location at the time of the robbery. According to the PM, at the time of the approach, one of the criminals threatened the agents, who shot.
06/08/2024 – A territorial dispute between rival criminals caused an intense shootout in Morro da Cruz, in Andaraí, on Tuesday (6). In images circulating on social media, residents recorded a sequence of shots. According to the Military Police, agents were called to check on the occurrence of gunshots. At the scene, shots were heard in the direction of a wooded area of the community, but nothing was found by the military.
06/08/2024 – Security cameras captured a robbery at a cell phone store inside the Jardim Guadalupe Shopping Mall, in the North Zone of Rio, after the end of business hours on Tuesday (6). The images showed a man who used a tool to break open the lock and left after three minutes with 35 iPhones and three other devices. The manager claimed that the suspect had an accomplice who stood outside and provided cover during the time of the robbery.
08/08/2024 – The Capital Homicide Division (DHC) served one preventive arrest warrant and 32 search and seizure warrants on Thursday (8) against criminals involved in several murders in the capital of Rio de Janeiro linked to the animal gambling game. Among the targets are 12 military police officers.
08/08/2024 – Two men were shot in a shootout at a gas station on the corner of Avenues Gláucio Gil and Lúcio Costa, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, on Thursday (8). According to the Military Police, an officer of the force responded to a robbery. One of the men, identified as a suspect, was shot in the chest. A second bandit fled. The other man who was hit was an employee of a construction site next to the station.
10/08/2024 – The Civil Police is investigating the death of a patient at the Lourenço Jorge Hospital, in Barra da Tijuca. The family of Richard Ferreira da Cruz, 20, accuses a doctor of having assaulted him with kicks and punches. The Municipal Health Department said that the young man attacked health professionals, who had to adopt protection measures. Richard’s relatives said that he was admitted to the health unit on Saturday night (10) after being the victim of a robbery and having been stabbed in the neck. Richard’s mother said she received a call from the hospital in the early hours of Sunday (11) informing her that her son was very agitated. She said she went to the scene and explained to the team on duty that her son suffered from mental health issues. According to the mother, during an attempt at sedation, the son went towards the doctor, who would have assaulted him, reopening the wound caused by the stabbing.
11/08/2024 – A woman was shot dead by a civil policeman in the early hours of Sunday (11) on Avenida Brasil, near Barros Filho, in the North Zone of Rio. The victim was identified as Elaine Esteves, 39 years old. According to a witness, Elaine and her husband left a nightclub and, on the way home, were involved in a traffic collision and were chased by the driver. During the chase, Elaine’s husband would have lost control of the car on a curve, spun, and hit a convoy of the Capital Homicide Police Station (DHC) that was passing by the expressway. The agents then fired at the car and ended up hitting Elaine.
13/08/2024 – A bus on line 335 (Cordovil x Tiradentes) was hijacked and used as a barricade, in Cidade Alta, on Tuesday morning (13), during a police operation in communities of Complexo de Israel, in the North Zone of Rio. The collective was hijacked after the driver and passengers were forced to get off. According to Rio Ônibus, in the last 12 months, 138 vehicles have already been targeted by this type of criminal action. According to the Military Police Secretariat, teams from the 16th BPM (Olaria) did an operation in three favelas that make up the Complexo de Israel to repress organized crime and clear roads blocked by barricades.
13/08/2024 – Based on information received by the Disque Denúncia, the police arrested on Tuesday (13), Luiz Gustavo da Silva Rosa, the “Bicheiro”, one of the main drug traffickers in Angra dos Reis. He was in the company of an accomplice. He was on the run and was found inside a residence on Estrada do Galeão, on Ilha do Governador, in the capital. The information showed that he would be hiding due to an operation in Complexo da Maré. In addition, “Bicheiro” would also be involved in the death of two BOPE police officers in the community. The Denunciation Hotline had received about 11 calls informing them about his whereabouts.
13/08/2024 – Agents of the Civil and Military Police, the Specialized Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (GAECO/MPRJ) and the Municipal Department of Public Order participated, on Tuesday (13), in an operation in Complexo da Maré against money laundering from drug trafficking. In the action, the Novo Horizonte condominium, in Parque União, was demolished. It was discovered in an investigation by the Narcotics Repression Police Station (DRE), last July, and is suspected of having been built by the Red Command, a faction present in the community. In all, the condominium has more than 40 irregular constructions, some with up to six floors.
13/08/2024 – A military police officer was injured in a confrontation with criminals in Gardênia Azul, West Zone of Rio, on Tuesday afternoon (13). Teams from the 18th BPM went to the community for an occurrence, in which there was a seizure of drugs. In a statement, the PM says that the agents were patrolling the Favelão region, where they came across a group of armed men, who fled into the interior of the community. The PMs began searches in the region and seized a grenade and a large amount of narcotic material. Then, a team was attacked by a group of armed men. An exchange of fire began and one of the police officers was injured.
14/08/2024 – Federal police officer Sergio Luiz de Medeiros, 62, was shot dead on Wednesday night (14), on Padre Ildefonso Penalba Street, in Todos os Santos, North Zone of Rio. He was in his car with his wife, daughter, and a family friend when he was surrendered by a bandit who announced a robbery. According to witnesses, the criminal realized that the victim was a police officer when he saw his gun and fired.
14/08/2024 – Drug traffickers kidnapped and used 10 buses and three trucks as barricades in the streets around the Chapadão Complex on Wednesday morning (14). Some of the buses were crossed on Avenida Chrisóstomo Pimentel and Marcos de Macedo and Alcobaça streets. In the early afternoon, it was possible to see a queue of about 20 buses stopped on a street in Guadeloupe: companies feared new kidnappings and, therefore, circulation was stopped. Bandits would also have ordered merchants in the neighborhoods of Anchieta and Guadalupe to close. The criminal action would be a reprisal against the death of a drug lord during a Military Police operation in the favela complex.
14/08/2024 – A suspect died and two others were arrested, on Wednesday night (14), after a confrontation with Military Police in Taquara, West Zone of Rio. Moments before, the trio stole a car and took the victim hostage in Curicica. According to the corporation, agents of the 18th BPM (Jacarepaguá) were called to an occurrence of vehicle theft. At the scene, they saw a car with the characteristics of the one that had been stolen. After an attempt to approach, the suspects fled. During the chase, the police managed to surround the vehicle but were attacked and there was an exchange of fire. One of the suspects died and two others were arrested. The victim, who had been taken hostage, was released. With the bandits, a pistol, three magazines, ammunition, four cell phones, and a GPS blocker were seized.
14/08/2024 – A gang of embezzlers was arrested on Wednesday (14) on Rua Marquês de São Vicente, in Gávea. The action was carried out by police officers from Lagoa Presente, in support of the agents of the 37th DP (Ilha do Governador). The group, made up of two couples, specialized in scamming the elderly. The investigation revealed that one couple was withdrawing benefits from third parties at a bank branch, while the other was waiting in the car to assist in the escape. According to information from the State Government, a Civil Police team surrounded the criminals while the group applied a scam inside Shopping da Gávea.
15/08/2024 – On Thursday (15), the Civil Police carried out an operation aimed at dismantling a division of the Red Command (CV) that transports large loads of cocaine from São Paulo to communities in Rio. The drug trafficker known as “My Thor”, one of the leaders of the CV, and a police officer from the corporation were the targets of search and seizure warrants. Agents of the Police Station for the Repression of Organized Criminal Actions and Special Investigations (DRACO) carried out the investigations at the policeman’s house, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, and at the trafficker’s cell, at the Bangu 3 prison, both in the West Zone of Rio. The chief of the specialized explained that the agent was responsible for a shell company that laundered the money used to purchase the cocaine loads. In the trafficker’s cell, the police seized 10 cell phones.
15/08/2024 – Two people were shot during a shootout, on Thursday (15), after the theft of a truck of household appliances on Guilherme Maxwell Street, in Bonsucesso, in the North Zone of Rio. Among the injured are a military police officer and a citizen who was driving by the scene. According to the PM, the criminals, who were on four motorcycles, approached the truck driver and announced the robbery. The agent who was returning home after leaving work saw the group’s action and reacted. The truck’s cargo, valued at more than R$ 320,000, was recovered on Leopoldo Bulhões Street in Benfica, North Zone.
16/08/2024 – After an intense shootout, the target of an operation by police officers from the Police Station for the Repression of Criminal Factions (DRFC), Wallerson Sousa da Silva, alias “Troia”, was arrested on Friday (16), in an apartment, on Ladeira dos Tabajaras, in Copacabana, South Zone. Member of the Red Command (CV) in the north of the country, the suspect had been hiding in Rio for at least a year. With the suspect, the police seized notebooks with the gang’s accounting, cell phones, and a computer. At the beginning of the operation, there was a confrontation. Data from the Civil Police in April of 2024 showed that, until then, at least 101 criminals from other states were hiding in favelas in the Metropolitan Region of Rio.
17/08/2024 – A man had his motorcycle and belongings taken during a robbery on Avenida Epitácio Pessoa, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, South Zone, around noon this Saturday (17). According to the Military Police, the 23rd BPM (Leblon) and the 14th DP, in the same neighborhood, are investigating the two robbers. The crime was caught and filmed by witnesses and shared on social networks. In the images, it is possible to see a motorcycle stopped across the street while a man wearing a helmet and a Flamengo shirt tries to pull an object from the victim, who is also wearing a helmet, and resist the action.
19/08/2024 – A shooting attack at Praça Barão de Drumond, known as Praça Sete, in Vila Isabel, in the North Zone of Rio, left five people dead and three others injured, on Monday (19). The victims were at a party at the site, which is close to Morro dos Macacos when four men on two motorcycles opened fire. A young man identified as Pedro Henrique Barbosa da Conceição, 18, died. According to the police, he was the target of the attack. According to the first information, the shooter would be from Morro São João, in Engenho Novo, also in the North Zone. Drug traffickers from the community, dominated by the Red Command, have been waging a war with the Morro dos Macacos gang, controlled by the Pure Third Command (TCP).
19/08/2024 – An operation by the Military Police in Cidade de Deus, West Zone, left nine people shot and arrested 12 criminals on Monday (19). Among the dead are two suspects who were trying to flee from the police. The PM reported that it arrested 12 criminals in the action in Cidade de Deus. With the arrestees, the police seized seven rifles, two grenades, and drugs. In all, about 11 tons of barricades were removed on 13 roads in the community. The action aimed to combat the activity of the Red Command in the region.
19/08/2024 – A criminal climbed the façade of a building in Leme, in the South Zone of Rio, and took electronic devices and money from one of the apartments. Security camera footage shows the bandit climbing the gate of the building on Rua Antônio Vieira to climb the property, which is on the second floor. The criminal managed to enter through the window that was leaning against it and stayed about 10 minutes in the apartment. The thief took a notebook, two cell phones, money, and a document from the residents. The theft was only noticed the next morning when the victims woke up.
20/08/2024 – A penal police officer was shot after reacting to a robbery on Tuesday afternoon (20), in Méier, north of Rio de Janeiro. According to information, the police officer was on a motorcycle when he was approached by two robbers on another motorcycle. The agent was armed and reacted. There was an exchange of fire and he, as well as one of the suspects, ended up shot. The other suspect managed to flee during the shooting.
21/08/2024 – On Wednesday morning (21), a shootout involving the Military Police and drug traffickers took place in the Chapadão Complex, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, resulting in three men injured. The confrontation took place during a patrol operation in the area known as Cavaleiros. During the action, teams from the 41st BPM (Irajá) seized a rifle, two pistols, a grenade, and drugs. The PM intensified patrols in the area to prevent possible reprisals. The shooting follows an incident that occurred on Tuesday (20), when a .50 machine gun shot hit an armored vehicle of the PM on patrol in Chapadão, without causing injuries to the police. The projectile was trapped in the last layer of the vehicle’s armor.
23/08/2024 – Brigadeiro Trompowski Avenue was closed on Friday morning (23) in yet another protest against the demolitions in Parque União, in Complexo da Maré, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The Civil and Military Police and the Municipal Department of Public Order (Seop) have been in the community since the beginning of the week to tear down what they consider the “trafficking condominium”, a set of properties still under construction erected without the approval of the public authorities or safety standards. In addition to the demonstration in the community, teachers organized an act in front of the City Hall of Rio.
23/08/2024 – An integrated operation by the Civil and Military police resulted in the arrest, on Friday (23), of the man appointed as the head of the militia that operates in Sepetiba, in the West Zone of Rio. Leonardo Paulo de Sousa, known as Leo Russo or Aladdin, and his security guard, Vitor da Silva de Oliveira, were located in the community of Rola, in Santa Cruz, also in the West Zone. When they were arrested, they were carrying pistols. Also seized during the action were notes from the militia’s accounting, clothes similar to the uniforms worn by police force agents, and a stolen and tampered vehicle.
24/08/2024 – A woman and her two children were taken hostage by a retired firefighter in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the West Zone of Rio, on Saturday (24). Military police from the BOPE, the shock battalion (BPChq), and agents from the Recreio battalion managed to free the family who were at gunpoint in the military, in a house on Rua Geraldo Irinêo Joffily, located in the Terreirão region, in the same neighborhood. According to witnesses, it all started after an app driver parked at the door of the firefighter’s residence. At the time, there was an argument, and the military pointed a gun at the driver, who called the police. When the police arrived, the firefighter, who was at home with his son and wife, shot at the agents and held the family hostage.
24/08/2024 – Morro dos Macacos, in Vila Isabel, in the North Zone, was the scene, in the early hours of Saturday (24), of another confrontation between rival criminals. Factions that dispute control of drug trafficking in the region carried out an intense exchange of fire, leaving residents scared. According to the platform Onde Tem Tiroteio (OTT), the shots were heard around 01:00. The community has been the scene of a constant war for territorial control between the Third Pure Command (TCP), which currently dominates, and the Red Command (CV).
24/08/2024 – Two suspects were arrested in the early hours of Saturday (24), after robbing two Chilean tourists in Copacabana, in the South Zone of Rio. According to the Military Police, agents of the Special Rounds and Crowd Control Battalion (Recom) located the duo shortly after the crime, on Rua Constante Ramos. The criminals were trying to flee from the police when they were approached.
25/08/2024 – The Military Police, through the Dog Action Battalion (BAC), seized on Sunday afternoon (25) a ton of marijuana, equivalent to 250 tablets, at a school in the Nova Holanda community, in Complexo da Maré, in the North Zone of Rio. The narcotics, according to the agents, were hidden inside air ducts in an external area of the school unit and were located by the sniffer animals.
26/08/2024 – The Federal Revenue Service seized, on Monday (26), two boxes containing 500 grams of hashish at Galeão Airport, on Ilha do Governador, North Zone. The total value of the seizures is R$ 38,000. One part of the material was hidden in a toy car, and the other was mixed with chocolates. The two orders were destined for Osasco, in São Paulo, and Cantagalo district, in Friburgo.
27/08/2024 – Three criminals with rifles, grenades, and pistols attacked military police officers who were patrolling Avenida Professor Bernardino Rocha, in Pavuna, North Zone of Rio, on Tuesday morning (27). During the action, the suspects were injured. After the exchange of fire, the three were arrested. With them, two rifles, a grenade, and a pistol were seized.
27/08/2024 – A van was stolen on the Linha Amarela, near Bonsucesso, in the North Zone, on Monday night (27). According to the Military Police, the vehicle was also found with passengers, who had their belongings taken. The bandit, on the other hand, managed to escape through the passenger door towards the community of Manguinhos, in the same region. Still, according to the corporation, teams located the vehicle on Humboldt Street.
27/08/2024 – Teams from the Municipal Department of Public Order (Seop) seized, on Tuesday (27), 210 kilograms of copper without origin in a junkyard in the neighborhood of Magalhães Bastos, West Zone. The establishment was interdicted. The person responsible for the place was arrested. Agents also found 10 rifle ammunition, caliber 556, in addition to 1,600 capsules of detonated ammunition of various calibers.
28/08/2024 – A tourist from the Dominican Republic was shot on the morning of Wednesday (28), on the edge of Barra da Tijuca, in the West Zone of Rio. The victim, 33 years old, was rescued by teams from the Maritime Group (Gmar). According to the Fire Department, the victim was walking on Avenida do Pepê when he was surrendered by robbers. The Military Police is investigating the case.
28/08/2024 – Police officers from the 36th Precinct (Santa Cruz) arrested in Deodoro, in the West Zone of Rio, on Wednesday (28), a woman accused of trying to kill her 11-year-old stepdaughter. According to the Civil Police, in April 2023, the stepmother allegedly assaulted and set fire to the victim’s clothes. The motivation for the crime would have been because the stepdaughter would have lost a rubber at school. Then, the suspect would have taken the child to the shower and threatened her with death if she told anyone what she was suffering. According to the investigations, the stepmother ordered the girl to lie and answer that it was a child from the neighborhood, who was in the residence and witnessed the scene, who threw alcohol on her.
28/08/2024 – An intense shootout frightened residents of the Campinho and Fubá hills, in the North Zone of Rio, on Wednesday morning (28). According to the Military Police, the confrontation took place between the criminal factions of the Third Pure Command (TCP), which dominates the area, and the Red Command (CV), which wants to invade the area. The exchange of fire began around 09:00 and lasted for more than an hour. According to information from the Military Police, agents of the 9th BPM (Rocha Miranda) went to the communities, but there is still no record of arrests or seizures in the places.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- During summer months, mass robberies and thefts in touristic spots become the most prevalent security risks in Rio de Janeiro, specially in the city’s South Zone.
- Crowded beaches and its vicinities should be avoided.
- Avoid any display of wealth (jewelry, cell phones), but always carry a small amount of money (R$50) to hand over to muggers.
- In case of robbery: cooperate, do not try to run after the assailant as he or she might not be alone or turn violent.
- In the case of being in the immediate vicinity of a shootout:
- Lay on the ground and seek cover.
- When it is safe to do so, find the nearest building, stay away from windows, do not move unless you are sure that the gunfire has ended.
- Avoid walking alone in poorly lit areas or beaches after nightfall. Avoid walking through tunnels.
- Avoid the vicinity of crime-prone areas such as ‘communities’ (so-called ‘favelas’) and lower-income neighborhoods.
- Be always cautious, even in the areas considered safe such as Downtown, Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema. Exercise caution in the Centro during the day and avoid the area after nightfall and on Sundays.
- Be careful when using the GPS as they may lead you to unsafe areas controlled by organized crime. Prefere Cooperative taxis instead of driving yourself.
