Vehicle robbery has grown in most neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro since last year, especially in the North and West Zones. Investigations reveal that gangs are using this type of crime to profit and exchange for weapons and drugs. Traffickers and militia members participate in criminal groups. The regions with the highest increases in car robbery are: In the region of Vila Valqueire, Praça Seca and Tanque there were 84 robberies from January to May 2022 and 183 this year – an increase of 118% and an average of 37 cars stolen per month. In the region of Irajá and Vicente de Carvalho, car robbery increased by 82%. In Cidade de Deus and Jacarepaguá – 76%. At Engenho Novo and Jacaré – 55%. In Madureira and Cascadura – 77%. In Del Castilho and Inhauma – 38%.
Our Analysis:
Criminals carry out robberies as if the practice was a business. There is a kind of a task division: there are those criminals who go to the streets and steal and there is a part of the gang that specializes in cloning and thus uses the logistics that drug trafficking allows them. This structure creates difficulties for the police to repress criminals, since by associating themselves to large gangs that control territories, law enforcement need large operations to go after them. So, protected inside these territories, robbers have a place to clone the vehicle and prepare it to be sold. Cars stolen and cloned in Rio go to Bahia, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Ceará and even Paraguay. Identifying all the gang leaders is difficult because the crime involves drug dealers and militiamen. Therefore, the forecast is the continuation of this trend.
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15/07/2023 – War material attributed to militiaman Bruno César de Santana, known as Cara de Égua, 36 years old, was seized by military police on Carobinha Street, in Campo Grande, West Zone. In the operation, officers collected a stolen motorcycle, which had a forged identification number, ammunition, a radio equipment.
16/07/2023 – An app driver was found dead inside his car on Rua Doutor Bernardino, in Praça Seca, West Zone. The 48-year-old victim spoke with the family for the last time on Saturday afternoon (15/07). According to witnesses, he would not have obeyed a stop order and criminals shot at the car.
16/07/2023 – Members of Flamengo and Fluminense organized supporters fought in Penha, North Zone, before the game between the two teams in the Maracanã Stadium. Videos circulating on social media show men running with sticks and wood in their hands. According to residents, the fight happened mainly on Rua Nossa Senhora Da Penha.
16/07/2023 – A man and his daughter were arrested for intentional homicide in Irajá, North Zone, after assaulting a doctor. They also caused the death of a patient in serious condition. According to the police, the man arrived at the Francisco da Silva Telles Municipal Hospital with a non-serious injury. He was accompanied by his daughter. Hospital staff asked them to wait. Dissatisfied, they would have started to break up the health unit and attack the doctor on duty.
16/07/2023 – A civil police officer and a federal police officer fought and fired shots at each other on Sunday afternoon in Vista Alegre, North Zone. Both were injured. According to witness information, both would have fought because of old problems between them. Civil Police are investigating the case.
18/07/2023 – A man was arrested after stabbing his co-worker to death in a beverage warehouse on Rua Gazela, in Realengo, West Zone. According to a witness, the criminal arrived at work drunk and the victim prevented him from staying at the scene. The criminal then returned to the beverage deposit with a knife.
18/07/2023 – The Federal Revenue seized a Ferrari, year 2022, valued at R$ 1.6 million. The seizure was carried out during a customs inspection procedure in the port. According to the Federal Revenue, the action is due to fraud in foreign trade operations, the importer is an individual with no financial backing.
19/07/2023 – Military Police (PM) found in Vila Aliança, West Zone, a clandestine shed for dismantling vehicles with car parts and 20 stolen cars. According to the PM, a man, responsible for the shed, was arrested with a stolen car. Shootings were recorded in the region until early afternoon. The purpose of the operation was to curb cargo and vehicles robbery, remove barricades and comply with arrest warrants.
21/07/2023 – A man was found dead on Avenida Canal do Anil, in Gardênia Azul, West Zone. The region is experiencing a routine of clashes between drug dealers and militiamen due to a dispute over control of the territory. According to the Military Police, officers were triggered to the scene, where they located the man already dead. The victim was found on top of rubble and was wearing pants and a jacket. There is still no information on how he died.
21/07/2023 – An operation carried out by the Irajá Battalion in Complexo do Chapadão, in Costa Barros, North Zone, ended with two criminals arrested. Police officers were attacked by gunfire while patrolling on Rua Mandioré and there was a confrontation. A police siege was carried out, leading to the arrest of the criminals. A rifle, three radio transmitters and drugs were seized.
