Between January and April 2025, the city of Santos recorded 1,247 incidents involving mobile phones, marking a 5.4% increase from 2024. The most affected neighborhoods were Vila Belmiro (134 cases), Gonzaga (109), and the city center (104), all high-traffic areas. Among the total, there were 351 robberies (involving violence), 268 thefts (without violence), and 116 cases of loss or unconfirmed crime. Some victims were targeted while inside their vehicles. Police use this data to refine patrol strategies and target high-risk zones.
Between 19 May and 8 July, five members of the First Capital Command (PCC) were arrested in the Baixada Santista region of São Paulo state—four in Santos and one in Praia Grande. Among them were two gunsmiths and key leaders, including José Roberto de Andrade, known as “Bicudo,” who was shot while resisting arrest in Santos. Vinicius Rafael do Nascimento Mendes, also known as “Vini Negão” and president of the Vila Mathias samba school, was caught with drugs on the premises. Another man, “JeffGun,” was arrested with rifles and pistols. The arrests were part of broader operations targeting PCC arms logistics and leadership.
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04/07/2025 – On Friday (04/07) night, GCM arrested two men carrying a stolen gate in the Gonzaga/José Menino area, taking them to the Criminal Police Center for qualified theft.
06/07/2025 – On Sunday (06/07), two minors stole a young woman’s cell phone on Gonzaga beach, were quickly located by the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM), and detained at the Youth and Childhood Police Station (DIJU); the phone was recovered.
08/07/2025 – On Tuesday (08/07) evening, Military Police seized a large quantity of drugs and related materials in Morro Chico de Paula, Santos. Officers on patrol spotted suspects who fled. A sweep of the area uncovered marijuana, cocaine, hashish, synthetic drugs, “lança-perfume,” drug packaging, a precision scale, trafficking notebooks, R$187 in cash, and communication devices. All items were collected and presented at the Santos Criminal Police Station.
08/07/2025 – On Tuesday (08/07), two men were arrested, and a large quantity of drugs were seized in Aparecida neighborhood during the Military Police’s “Operation Impact Against Drug Trafficking.” Police spotted the men attempting to flee upon seeing patrol cars. One man had a drug packet and R$90, while the second was caught exiting a nearby building. Inside, officers found two bags in a hydrant containing 92 cocaine packets, 40 cocaine eppendorfs, 14 crack rocks, a precision scale, cutting tools, and 12 aesthetic product bottles. Both men were taken to the local Police Department.
08/07/2025 – On Tuesday (08/07), a 52-year-old self-employed woman’s car was vandalized by a group of teenagers in Santos’ Embaré neighborhood, resulting in about R$2,000 in damages. Around 23:00, the youths on bicycles threw stones, breaking four windows of her Fiat Uno, which she uses for work and to transport her son with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Nothing was stolen, and the motive is unknown. The woman has not yet filed a police report and is holding a raffle to cover the costs.
11/07/2025 – On Friday (11/07), three teenagers were detained in Boqueirão neighborhood after attempting to rob a convenience store. Around 18:00, a police team on patrol observed the suspicious individuals leaving the store. A staff member then informed officers of the attempted robbery, which involved threats. With the help of other Municipal Civil Guard teams, the police pursued and apprehended the teenagers, who were already known for previous thefts from the same chain. They were taken to the Central Criminal Police Station.
11/07/2025 – Friday (11/07), around 11:30, a man was arrested for bicycle theft in Gonzaga neighborhood. During routine patrol, the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) was alerted by a resident about the theft from a gallery. The team searched the area and located the individual attempting to flee on the beach’s sand strip. Agents intercepted him and took him to the police station for legal proceedings. The victim identified the suspect, and the bicycle was returned.
13/07/2025 – On Sunday (13/07) evening, residents of the Castelo neighborhood in Santos’ Northwest Zone took matters into their own hands, displaying signs warning of a two-year surge in robberies. This wave of crime, impacting residents’ sense of safety, intensified after municipal scaffolding for the Sambadrome temporarily blocked vehicle access on Avenida Afonso Schmidt, inadvertently creating vulnerable corridors for criminals on bicycles and motorcycles. Fabiano Vieira, a local resident, noted the increased ease for criminals to operate due to the altered traffic flow. The situation has left residents fearful, prompting calls for action. The Santos City Hall explained the vehicle passage suspension is a preventive measure for structural reinforcement, with a new bidding process underway. They also stated the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) conducts daily patrols. Despite residents’ concerns, the São Paulo State Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP) reported a 13.94% decrease in robberies in the region between January and May 2025, citing 1,627 arrests/apprehensions and 128 firearms seized as evidence of effective police action.
15/07/2025 – On Tuesday (15/07) morning, in Santos’ Vila Nova neighborhood, a 54-year-old businesswoman was assaulted and immobilized by a 24-year-old former employee over an alleged labor debt. Around 5 AM, the man entered her restaurant, sparking an argument. He then damaged her car with a helmet, dragged her by her hair onto the sidewalk, and continued assaulting her before bystanders intervened. The Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) responded, taking both to the 4th Police Precinct (DP). The attacker, who had abrasions, was treated at a UPA and later released, but the case was registered as bodily injury and threat, as the victim reported being threatened at the station.
18/07/2025 – On Friday (18/07), an 18-year-old man was shot in the groin and arrested after a shootout with police in a drug-trafficking area of Jardim Castelo. During the GOE operation at Caminho da Divisa, officers were met with gunfire from suspects hiding behind barricades. While two fled, the injured man was found behind a parked car. A firearm was seized, and a bystander’s car was hit by bullets without injuries. The investigation continues to identify the remaining fugitives, including one reportedly wounded in the hand.
18/07/2025 – A man was caught on surveillance cameras stealing about two kilograms of electrical wires after climbing a streetlight pole in downtown Santos, São Paulo, in the early hours of Friday (18/07). The city’s Operational Control Center (CCO) alerted the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM), prompting a pursuit. The suspect jumped from the pole and attempted to flee, abandoning a backpack with the stolen wires, but was captured a few meters away on Rua Amador Bueno.
20/07/2025 – On Sunday (20/07), the body of a 14-year-old boy who had been missing for two days was found in Santos. Emergency medical services confirmed the death at the scene on Avenida Francisco Manoel, in the Morro da Nova Cintra area. The case was registered as a suspicious death at the Central Police Station of Santos and is currently under investigation. The victim’s name has not been released.
22/07/2025 – On the morning of Tuesday (22/07), an armed gang robbed a delivery van loaded with contraband cigarettes near Canal 1 in Santos. At least four suspects, traveling in a black car and on a motorcycle, held the driver at gunpoint and stole the company vehicle. Using GPS data, the Military Police located part of the cargo at a liquor store lacking proper documentation and the rest inside an abandoned vehicle on Morro Santa Maria. Authorities recovered 2,780 packs of stolen cigarettes and 803 packs of foreign-brand cigarettes, arrested two women, and seized surveillance equipment.
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday (23/07), a 35-year-old man was arrested in downtown Santos after allegedly sexually harassing a 41-year-old woman on a municipal bus. The victim screamed for help, prompting the driver to alert nearby civil police officers, who detained the suspect on the spot. The man denied the accusations and was carrying a backpack with candy. At the police station, authorities discovered he had previously been reported missing and officially recorded his whereabouts.
26/07/2025 – On Saturday (26/07), a 19-year-old was caught in the act after stealing a necklace in the José Menino neighborhood. The suspect was found in São Vicente riding a bicycle and was arrested by military police. At the station, he showed officers an Instagram story he had posted of himself biting the stolen necklace, along with photos of other stolen items and WhatsApp groups used for selling them. The bicycle was seized, and both the phone and necklace remained at the police station.
26/07/2025 – On Saturday (26/07), customs officers at the Port of Santos seized 140 kg of cocaine hidden in the floor of a container loaded with 1.8 tons of facial scrub. The shipment was bound for Sydney, Australia, with transshipment in Singapore. According to authorities, the cocaine’s street value of cocaine in Australia is roughly five times higher than in Europe. This was the 10th drug seizure by Santos customs in 2025, bringing the year’s total to 5,265 kg — already matching the full amount seized in 2024. No arrests were made.
27/07/2025 – Criminals are using the logo of the Santos Port Authority (APS) to advertise fake job openings at Brazil’s largest port, attempting to lure victims through false employment offers. The APS issued a public warning on Sunday (27/07), clarifying that all positions at the state-run company are filled exclusively via public exams and not through open recruitment processes. The fraudulent posts include a phone number and mislead applicants into believing the job offers are legitimate. APS urged job seekers to contact terminal operators directly or use official labor offices in Santos and Guarujá.
29/07/2025 – On Tuesday morning (29/07), a man was caught on video vandalizing a bus stop on the beachfront of Praia do Gonzaga. He threw a stone that shattered a glass panel, alarming a nearby witness who called the Military Police. However, the suspect fled the scene by boarding a bus before officers arrived. He was not located despite patrol efforts. The city’s traffic agency requested cleaning of the site and the replacement of the broken glass.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Be cautious when in the vicinity of Embaré, Ponta da Praia, Campo Grande, Rádio Clube, Downtown, and Estuário.
- Never visit neighborhoods on the hills, such as Morro de São Bento, Jabaquara, Saboo, and others, since they are gang-controlled zones where shootouts occur frequently.
- Avoid passing near the VLT tunnel, in José Menino, as many drug users and homeless people stay there, especially next to the walls of the Clube dos Ingleses.
- The waterfront has many incidents of thefts and robberies (snatch and run), never display wealth, and avoid walking there during the night.
- During the Summer, risks increase, due to the bigger number of beachgoers.
- Residences in the neighborhoods of Pompeia, Gonzaga, Boqueirão, Embaré, Aparecida, Estuário, and Ponta da Praia are frequently targeted by thieves who look for bikes and items in the common areas.
- Make sure your building is well protected, with a 24/7 doorperson.
- Be cautious at all times, including in areas perceived as safe.
- Always carry a small amount of money (R$50) to hand over to muggers if attacked.
- In case of robbery: cooperate, do not try to run after the assailant, as they might be armed or resort to violence.
- In case of kidnapping:
- Cooperate in order to mitigate the risk of violence, and do not lie or provide false information to your kidnappers.
- Bear in mind that the vast majority of kidnappings are financially motivated, and nowadays they tend to be quick and focused on forcing the victims to transfer money using their cell phones.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
