01/10/2022 – A shooting left one person injured in Leblon, in the South Zone. A doorman driving a motorcycle ran a red light and was followed by a military police officer. One of the officers tried to hit the motorcycle tire, but the shot hit the ground and then hit a woman in the back.
02/10/2022 – A woman was stabbed in the parking lot of the Rio Sul Shopping Mall, in Botafogo, South Zone, during an attempted robbery. According to the establishment’s direction, the victim reacted and was stabbed by a man as she was getting into her own car. She suffered cuts to her hand, as well as injuries to her thigh and shin.
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03/10/2022 – The Military Police rescued the truck driver and the assistant who were taken along with the cargo in a robbery. They were transporting about two tons of cheese when they were approached by robbers close to the CCPL community, in Benfica, North Zone. The total load of cheese is valued at R$100,000. A man was arrested and a motorcycle was seized with him.
05/10/2022 – A military police officer was killed in an attack by criminals on Rua Leopoldo, in Andaraí, near Estrada Grajaú-Jacarepaguá, North Zone. The 42-year-old police officer was shot in the head when a criminal fired from a moving car at the police car where he was.
06/10/2022 – A shooting took place in Avenida Brasil central lane, near Manguinhos, North Zone, between military police officers from the Expressway Police Battalion (BPVE) and two men who were riding a motorcycle. According to information from the BPVE, the criminals were surprised by the presence of police officers when they tried to rob a driver who was passing along the avenue.
07/10/2022 – A family had their car stolen in Madureira, North Zone. Security cameras filmed the crime, in the images it is possible to see that after the victim parked the car, a vehicle with four criminals stopped beside it. Three of them disembark and run towards a woman. As soon as she is approached, the woman starts trying to get the kids out of the car. She first tries to open the door on the right side of the vehicle but fails. While one of the robbers takes the direction of the vehicle, another tries to open the same back door, but also fails. One of the children manages to leave the car through the passenger seat. The woman then manages to open the back door and take the other child out of the vehicle, 30 seconds after the approach. With the child in her arms, the woman runs in the opposite direction of the criminals. The entire action lasted less than a minute.
11/10/2022 – The Civil Police carried out an operation against a gang accused of having carried out a R$7.8 million scam in the company Manchester Distribuidora de Ferro e Aço, located in Baixada Fluminense. According to the investigations of the Imbariê Police Station, the group faked machines purchase and managed to get the company’s financial department to pay for the purchase. There is suspicion of involvement of a company employee in the scheme. According to the police, several deposits were made in the group’s bosses private accounts. Fifteen people were denounced by the state Public Ministry for crimes of scam and criminal association.
13/10/2022 – Two Italian tourists were shot inside a car by criminals when they mistakenly entered Complexo da Maré, in the North Zone. They were returning to São Paulo after a party at Marina da Glória when they took the wrong path and stopped at Favela da Maré, where they ended up being shot at.
14/10/2022 – Two Colombians were arrested while trying to invade a village of houses on Rua Pacheco Leão, in Jardim Botânico, South Zone. According to witnesses, a resident saw the criminals trying to break into the entrance to the village, a neighbour called the police. Triggered, police officers from Lagoa Presente went to the scene and arrested the Colombians who were trying to flee. Tools for breaking down gates were found with them.
15/10/2022 – A Bolivian couple who stole cell phones from pedestrians on Rua Princesa Isabel, in Copacabana, South Zone, was arrested by Security Presente program agents. Two pedestrians approached by the couple triggered a team that was patrolling the neighborhood that managed to locate the couple. Initially, only the woman was arrested but at the Copacabana Police Station she admitted that she had a partner who had managed to escape.
19/10/2022 – An attempt to steal a beer cargo had a driver held for about 40 km, ending with a shooting and a pursuit in the North Zone. The driver said that he was coming from Indaiatuba, São Paulo, with the shipment bound for Teresópolis, in the mountainous region of RJ, through the Metropolitan Arch. Near Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense, the robbers held him up, and one of them even entered the cabin. Under threat from the gang, the truck driver drove to Rio de Janeiro. On the Linha Amarela, Military Police officers became suspicious and began the pursuit. The police managed to stop the truck with a shot in the tire on Rua Clarimundo de Melo, in Encantado. According to the carrier manager, the cargo valued at R$170,000 was not looted. One criminal was arrested, but the others fled.
19/10/2022 – A man was killed while reacting to a robbery to try to protect his wife in the Colégio neighborhood, North Zone. The victim used to meet his wife at the subway exit so they could go home. According to the Military Police, the woman was inside the family car when an armed criminal announced the robbery. The woman handed over her belongings to the criminal, but when the victim arrived, the robbery was still going on. To protect his wife, he threw a backpack at the robber. According to the PM, the victim and the criminal got into a physical fight afterwards. The criminal shot at point-blank range. The couple’s car was taken by the robber.
20/10/2022 – The police arrested a man posing as an agent of the Federal Revenue and trying to scam a resident of Copacabana, in the South Zone. Well-dressed, the criminal rang the intercom and said he worked at the IRS and that he needed to check some data with her because she hadn’t paid her last income tax. The victim only got suspicious when he asked if she worked with PIX and if she had money in the house.
21/10/2022 – Two doctors were victims of a new scam. Criminals impersonated them and transferred phone lines to another operator. With the numbers in hand, the scammers took control of the victims’ WhatsApp and social networks and carry out scams. With access to message history, criminals asked friends and patients for money. They even shared the PIX key and the name of the account holder used by the gang.
21/10/2022 – A resident was robbed when arriving home, in a building in Lagoa, South Zone. According to local security cameras, the man arrives, reduces speed to enter the building. In the sequence, a car passes, criminals get out and announce the robbery. One of the criminals points his gun at the driver, ordering him to get out of the car. The thief also took the victim’s ring, necklace, and watch, before getting into the car and leaving.
24/10/2022 – A 37-year-old businessman was killed in Flamengo, South Zone. He had just left a show house on the waterfront, when his car was surrounded by a vehicle with armed criminals, who stole jewelry and his car. The victim was shot in the chest and did not survive.
26/10/2022 – A truck driver died on Avenida Brasil, near Bonsucesso, North Zone, after being shot. After being hit, the 35-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle, crashed into a wall. The truck stopped just 400 meters ahead. Preliminary information indicates that the truck was transporting parts for buses. The vehicle has at least 15 bullet marks. There is still no information about the motive for the crime.
Our analysis:
Avenida Brasil is an important expressway in Rio de Janeiro, with 58 kilometers surrounded by dozens of favelas, including the Chapadão and Pedreira Complexes, Favela de Acari, Chatuba, Vila Cruzeiro and Complexo da Maré. Despite the differences in the profiles of the communities and neighborhoods located around Avenida Brasil, they all have in common the fact that they live with crimes related to drug trafficking – mainly shootings, mass robberies and robberies – and cargo theft. The proximity of favelas allows criminals to leave, commit crimes and to escape quickly before the police arrives. With this opportunity at hands, criminals discovered that property crimes could be a secondary source of income for when drug sales are bad, when the police causes a big financial loss to them during an operation, or even when they see a chance to make more money. In this regard, among the crimes available, car and cargo robberies emerged as quite interesting options. The first could be used to sell stolen vehicles, or parts, and even use the vehicles in criminal actions. The second to sell the stolen goods, or to distribute them to the poor population of the favelas, scoring some points with them. Regarding cargo theft, according to a survey by the Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), last year (2021), about 97% of the registered cases were in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. And half of the incidents took place on the main highways in the state: BR-040, Rodovia Washington Luís; BR-101, Avenida Brasil; BR-101, Niterói-Manilha Highway; BR-116, Presidente Dutra Highway; BR-493, Metropolitan Arch; and RJ-104, Amaral Peixoto Highway. The worst spots of these roads in terms of cargo robberies are close to some of the largest favelas controlled by the gangs.
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.
