In 2025, the city of São Paulo recorded 154,058 cell phone robberies and thefts, averaging 17 incidents per hour. According to the Secretariat of Public Security, only 10,477 devices (approximately 6%) were returned to their owners during the year. The highest concentration of crimes occurred in the downtown neighborhoods of República, Santa Ifigênia, Liberdade, and Jardins, which together accounted for over 36,000 cases. To combat this, authorities launched the SP Mobile program, a system that tracks stolen devices when they are reactivated to alert new users and facilitate recoveries.
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22/01/2026 – On Thursday (22), the São Paulo Civil Police dismantled a “scam center” operating on Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, West Zone, that employed 100 people and utilized 400 computers. As part of “Operation Dark Title” (Título Sombrio), authorities detained 12 individuals accused of defrauding the elderly by using fake judicial orders and threats of asset seizures to collect non-existent debts. The criminal network used the prestigious financial district location to gain legitimacy, operating a hybrid business that mixed legal collections with fraudulent schemes.
22/01/2026 – On Thursday (22), the wife of famous TV presenter Pedro Bial was robbed at gunpoint in Lapa, West São Paulo, by a criminal disguised as a delivery driver who stole her jewelry and unlocked phone in front of her 6-year-old daughter. Following the investigation, police arrested a first accomplice on Saturday, January 24, after identifying him on security footage. By Monday, January 26, a second member of the specialized motorcycle gang was apprehended in a joint operation involving the Civil Police and the Taboão da Serra Municipal Guard.
24/01/2026 – On Saturday (24), a 26-year-old military police officer was arrested after accidentally shooting a 50-year-old pedestrian during a motorcycle inspection in Capão Redondo, South São Paulo. The officer fired at a fleeing motorcyclist who allegedly reached for a weapon, but the bullet hit a cleaner walking to work on the other side of the street. The victim was hospitalized at Campo Limpo Hospital.
26/01/2026 – On Monday (26), police arrested a 36-year-old man on Rua São José Operário in the Tremembé neighborhood, North São Paulo, for the attempted feminicide of his ex-partner in December 2025. The suspect had been a fugitive since the attack, during which he used two firearms to shoot the victim six times at the pastry shop where she worked. During the arrest, he attempted to flee on foot and discarded a weapon before being apprehended by officers. The victim, who survived the shooting after being airlifted to a hospital, was discharged in late December following surgery and intensive care.
26/01/2026 – On Monday (26), São Paulo Civil Police arrested two more military police officers suspected of involvement in the execution of Luis Francisco Caselli, a 61-year-old businessman and lobbyist. A total of eight officers from the 6th BAEP are now under investigation for the November 2024 murder in Vila Formosa, where Caselli was shot while arriving home. Investigations revealed that the victim’s car was monitored by a tracking device allegedly delivered to one of the officers, and security footage shows the shooters attempting to recover the device after the killing.
27/01/2026 – On Tuesday morning (27), a military police officer and a suspect were shot during a confrontation on Avenida Miguel Yunes in the Campo Grande neighborhood, South Zone. The shootout occurred when police intercepted a vehicle suspected of involvement in a “crime court” execution plot. The officer, struck in the leg, was rescued by helicopter and remains stable, while one wounded suspect was taken to hospital and four others escaped. Authorities have reinforced the area as they continue to hunt for the remaining fugitives.
27/01/2026 – On Tuesday (27), Jânio Quadros Neto, grandson of the former Brazilian president, was assaulted in São Paulo following a R$ 70,000 currency scam. While mediating a dollar purchase for a friend, a female suspect vanished with the cash during a meeting in Jardim São Luiz. A subsequent dispute in a vehicle led bystanders to mistake Quadros Neto for a thief, resulting in a physical attack that required medical attention.
27/01/2026 – On Tuesday night (27), two unidentified suspects were shot and killed by Military Police during an alleged robbery in Vila Jacuí, East Zone. A soldier and a corporal opened fire 17 times after reportedly witnessing the pair on a motorcycle robbing another biker at gunpoint. Authorities later seized a replica firearm from one of the suspects.
