SÃO PAULO SECURITY INCIDENTS – 4TH BULLETIN OF OCTOBER

27/10/2026 – On Tuesday morning (27), São Paulo’s Civil Police launched the third phase of Operation Ouro Reverso, targeting a criminal organization suspected of laundering money obtained through jewelry and gold theft, robbery, and the resale of stolen goods. Authorities executed 31 search and seizure warrants and obtained a court order to freeze approximately R$374 million in assets and financial holdings. According to the State Criminal Investigations Department (Deic), the organization operated through three interconnected groups responsible for theft and robbery, the resale of stolen valuables, and money laundering. One company reportedly handled more than R$356 million, allegedly using shell companies, intermediaries, and financial transfers to conceal the illicit origin of the funds. The operation involved 62 Civil Police officers and financial authorities, focusing on dismantling the organization’s financial network and preventing criminal proceeds from entering the legitimate economy.

27/10/2026 – On Tuesday night (27), São Paulo’s Military Police arrested a man suspected of carrying out a knife attack near the intersection of Avenida Santos Dumont and Avenida do Estado, in the city’s Central Zone. Officers from the 1st Traffic Policing Battalion were alerted by a passerby and found the victim suffering from severe bleeding and stab wounds to the head, back, and face. The suspect remained at the scene, where police also located the knife allegedly used in the assault. Officers detained him and provided first aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. The victim was taken to Santa Casa Hospital, where he remained hospitalized for treatment. The suspect was taken to the 2nd Police District, where he remained in custody following his arrest in flagrante.

27/10/2026 – On Tuesday (27), São Paulo’s Military Police arrested two men following a robbery at a pharmacy on Avenida Cabo Adão Pereira, in the city’s North Zone. Officers from the 49th Metropolitan Battalion’s motorcycle patrol unit (ROCAM) were alerted by pedestrians and spotted three hooded suspects leaving the establishment. During the intervention, police recovered stolen medicines, weight-loss injection pens, and R$398 in cash, while also seizing two replica firearms. Two suspects were arrested in flagrante and taken to a local police station, where they remained in custody. The recovered medicines and cash were returned to the pharmacy’s representative.

28/10/2026 – On Wednesday (28), São Paulo’s Civil Police arrested a 39-year-old man suspected of murdering his 21-year-old partner, who was found dead inside a bathtub at a motel on Avenida Marquês de São Vicente, in Barra Funda, in the city’s West Zone, on October 1. According to the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP), investigators are examining a possible financial motive, as the victim held life insurance policies worth up to R$10 million, with the suspect listed as the sole beneficiary. Police reported that he allegedly requested the insurance payout just hours after the death. Officers from the Homicide and Personal Protection Department (DHPP) arrested the suspect in Vila Sofia, in the South Zone, under a temporary arrest warrant, seizing cellphones, laptops, and documents. Investigations remain ongoing to clarify the circumstances of the death and determine whether others were involved.

28/10/2026 – On Wednesday (28), São Paulo’s Civil Police arrested six suspects accused of posing as ride-hailing drivers and extorting passengers near the Barra Funda Bus Terminal, in the city’s West Zone. During Operation Caronte, conducted after three months of investigation, officers identified a scheme in which suspects offered rides at agreed prices but demanded up to three times the original fare upon arrival, sometimes threatening passengers and preventing them from leaving the vehicles. In one case, a passenger from Togo had his luggage confiscated after refusing to pay approximately R$500. Police recovered his belongings during the operation and seized six vehicles, cellphones, and card payment machines. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of extortion and criminal association, while investigations continue to identify additional victims.

28/10/2026 – On Wednesday (28), São Paulo’s Civil Police arrested a 65-year-old man suspected of using a videogame and virtual reality headset to lure a child for sexual abuse in the Mooca neighborhood, in the city’s East Zone. Officers from the 4th Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation Unit, part of the Homicide and Personal Protection Department (DHPP), executed a search warrant at the suspect’s apartment in an upscale residential condominium. During the search, investigators discovered child sexual abuse material stored on his cellphone, leading to his arrest in flagrante. The investigation began after a digital services platform reported suspicious activity to the Federal Police, which forwarded the information to state authorities. The suspect is also under investigation for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor and recording of the acts.

29/10/2026 – On Thursday morning (29), São Paulo’s Civil Police and municipal authorities launched the second phase of Operation Luctus, targeting a suspected scheme involving the illegal sale of confidential information about recently deceased individuals to funeral companies. Investigators allege that a Civil Police officer assigned to the Narcotics Department (Denarc), a municipal employee from the regulatory agency SP Regula, and funeral industry executives obtained death records from hospitals, the Medical Examiner’s Office (IML), and the Death Verification Service (SVO). The information was allegedly used to approach grieving families and charge excessive funeral service fees. Authorities executed 21 search and seizure warrants across São Paulo and the municipalities of Embu das Artes, Taboão da Serra, Cotia, and Diadema. Investigators also identified suspicious financial transactions and potential asset concealment. No arrest warrants were issued during this phase, and the investigation remains ongoing.

29/10/2026 – On Thursday afternoon (29), a delivery worker was wounded during a shootout between Civil Police officers and suspected robbers at a luxury residential condominium on Carlos Weber Street, in Vila Leopoldina, São Paulo’s West Zone. According to the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP), the suspects were attempting to rob the property when police intervened, triggering an exchange of gunfire. One suspect was killed, while a man and a woman were arrested. The delivery worker, who was near the building, was struck by a stray bullet in the hip and taken to hospital without life-threatening injuries. Investigators reported that the criminal group had been under surveillance for several weeks and was suspected of involvement in at least seven burglaries and robberies targeting high-end properties, with eight additional cases under investigation. The case was referred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (Deic).

30/10/2026 – On Friday morning (30), São Paulo’s Military Police shot and wounded a man suspected of helping the gunman responsible for the June 27 assassination attempt against a ROTA lieutenant in São Caetano do Sul, Greater São Paulo. Officers from the elite Rondas Ostensivas Tobias de Aguiar (ROTA) unit located the suspect at a residence on Rua das Catileias, in Parque das Flores, in the city’s East Zone, following a tip-off about a fugitive. According to police, the suspect opened fire at officers, who returned fire, wounding and disarming him before taking him to a nearby hospital. Investigators identified him as an alleged associate of the First Capital Command (PCC), suspected of assisting the gunman’s escape after the attack. A preventive arrest warrant had been issued against him in September on charges related to homicide and criminal organization. The lieutenant remained hospitalized following the June shooting.