01/10/2023 – A shooting between drug dealers from rival factions and a curfew scared resident of the Az de Ouro community, in Anchieta, North Zone. The conflict began on Saturday afternoon (30). Images from security cameras recorded a group of armed criminals dressed in black entering the community. According to reports, drug traffickers from the Red Command were trying to regain control of Az de Ouro, recently dominated by rivals from the Third Pure Command.
02/10/2023 – The Special Operations Battalion (Bope) of the Military Police carried out an operation in Vila Kennedy, West Zone, in order to find the armed criminals who, on Sunday (01), took state deputy Lucinha (PSD-RJ) to the community inside an official car of the Legislative Assembly of RJ (Alerj). Residents reported an intense shooting.
02/10/2023 – A grenade was found at Costa Barros train station, North Zone. The Belford Roxo branch became irregular, and four stations were closed. According to Supervia, at around 11:30, the explosive was found on the railway line by agents from the concessionaire. The Bomb Squad was called.
03/10/2023 – A 37-year-old woman was arrested after stealing five gold rings from a tourist in Copacabana, South Zone. The criminal was detained by municipal guards on Rua Paula Freitas. According to agents, the woman used a replica firearm to threaten the victim.
05/10/2023 – State deputy Guilherme Delaroli was with his daughters and a security guard at a club in Itaboraí, Rio’s Metropolitan Region, when armed men invaded the place. The deputy drew his gun and there was a shooting. The parliamentarian and his daughters were not hit. The criminals managed to escape.
05/10/2023 – Four doctors were shot at a kiosk in Praia da Barra da Tijuca, West Zone. Three died and one is hospitalized. The Rio Civil Police believe in execution, as nothing was taken, and the criminals arrived shooting. There were at least 20 shots. The victims were in the city for an international orthopedics conference. And one of them was the brother of federal deputy Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP).
06/10/2023 – The Civil Police found the bodies of drug traffickers suspected of murdering three doctors in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone. The bodies were inside two cars, located at night in Jacarepaguá, in the West Zone. In total, four bodies were found: three were inside a car on Rua Abrahão Jabour and another in the second vehicle, on Avenida Tenente-Coronel Muniz de Aragão.
07/10/2023 – A fight around the São Januário Stadium, in Barreira do Vasco, North Zone, ended with one man dead and two injured. According to witnesses, the confusion began shortly after the football match between Vasco and São Paulo. Agents from the community’s Pacification Police Unit (UPP) said they were working to clear traffic in the region when they heard a gunshot. When they arrived at the scene, they found two men shot.
07/10/2023 – Armed criminals tried to steal a car on Rua Cardoso de Castro, in Anchieta, North Zone. The robbery attempt was recorded by security cameras at a workshop. In the video, it is possible to observe the moment when two armed men get out of a car and approach the vehicle, however, the car driver manages to quickly back away and avoid the robbery. The previous day, however, another incident took place on the same street, this time it was successful. The criminals ended up stealing a car.
07/10/2023 – A man was shot in Morro do Jordão, Taquara, West Zone. According to the Military Police, officers were traveling along Rua São Jorge when they were attacked with gunfire that came from a forested area of the favela. The police stated that they did not fire any shots during the incident. Morro do Jordão is the target of dispute between militiamen and drug traffickers, who seek to control the region, as well as other parts of the city.
09/10/2023 – The Civil and Military police began a joint operation in Maré, in Vila Cruzeiro — both in the North Zone — and in Cidade de Deus, in the West Zone. A thousand agents were mobilized, and residents of different locations reported shootings late in the morning. At the beginning of the action, two police helicopters were hit by gunfire. The offensive is a response to the death of the 3 doctors in Barra da Tijuca, last week, and seeks to arrest members of the leadership of Red Command, the largest drug trafficking faction in the state. The operation continued for four days until Friday (13/10). On Tuesday (10/10) police retook the club that had been transformed into a tactical training center for criminals. On Wednesday (11/10), the Civil and Military police targeted heads of the Third Pure Command (TCP), the second largest criminal faction in the state.
10/10/2023 – Three men were arrested with illegal possession of 47 rifles and hundreds of rifle ammunition in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone. The weapon was found by the Federal Police (PF) in a wardrobe and in suitcases distributed throughout the house in a luxury condominium. During the action, federal police officers also located weapons and ammunition inside three luxury vehicles that were also seized. According to the PF, the house was rented by men who are from Minas Gerais.
14/10/2023 – A 20-year-old Frenchman was arrested in Copacabana, South Zone, for stealing from a souvenir shop in the neighborhood. A team of military police officers from Operation Copacabana Presente was called by the establishment’s saleswoman, reporting that a young man had entered with an attitude that she considered suspicious. With him, the police found jewelry valued at R$23,000.
15/10/2023 – A Russian tourist was stabbed during a robbery, on Avenida Chile, in downtown Rio. The man was walking through the area accompanied by a Ukrainian tourist when the couple was approached by a woman with a knife. The Military Police reported that officers arrested the woman involved in the robbery, who was recognized by the victims.
19/10/2023 – A digital influencer and Uber driver was arrested for impersonating a military police officer in Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense. The 38-year-old man produces videos on social media where he introduces himself as “Uber Presente”, an agent who is working as an app driver. He doesn’t belong to the corporation. Military personnel were on patrol on Avenida Brigadeiro Lima e Silva when they were called by a man who claimed to have been threatened by “Uber Presente”. The agents found the influencer and noticed that he was dressed as a military police officer. He also carried replica rifles and pistols, a bulletproof vest, a radio, and other materials.
20/10/2023 – Military Police officers carried out an operation in Cidade de Deus, West Zone. The action, according to the corporation, aimed to curb criminal practices, unblock roads by removing barricades, as well as repress vehicle theft practices in the community access. There were no arrests or seizures. The operation took place the day after the recovery of eight machine guns diverted from the São Paulo Army in that region.
20/10/2023 – A civil police officer mistakenly entered the Cinco Bocas favela, in Complexo de Israel, North Zone, and was attacked by criminals. The officer managed to escape, but had to abandon his car and weapon, which were later recovered by police teams.
21/10/2023 – A van rented by the Military Police (PM), and which was to be used in a social project, was stolen in Benfica, North Zone. The criminals captured the officer and forced him to take the vehicle to Morro do Tuiuti, in São Cristóvão. The PM was captured on Rua Capitão Félix and released shortly afterwards, without suffering any injuries.
24/10/2023 – A 28-year-old man was arrested for trying to set fire to the Church of Nossa Senhora da Candelária, in Praça Pio X, in downtown Rio. Church employees managed to control the flames and call a Security Present team, who took the criminal away. According to employees, the man spread a flammable liquid inside the Cathedral and set it on fire. A Molotov cocktail, a plastic bottle filled with flammable liquid, and lighters were seized from the criminal.
24/10/2023 – Rio’s security forces carried out a major operation in the West Zone in search of militiaman Luís Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho. Agents carried out search and seizure warrants against the paramilitary. The action comes after a series of attacks that culminated in 35 buses being set on fire in the West Zone on Monday (23/10). The action of the Civil and Military police also aims to prevent other buses from being burned.
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.
