01/09/2023 – A 66-year-old woman, who was indoors on Rua Espírito Santo, died after being hit by a stray bullet in Praça Seca, West Zone. She was watching television when a shooting broke out in the neighborhood. The command of the Battalion of Jacarepaguá said that there was no operation in place.
02/09/2023 – A 34-year-old woman, who was on Rua Andrade Araújo, in Oswaldo Cruz, North Zone, died after three armed men drove by in a car and shot in her direction. The three fled.
02/09/2023 – A couple was robbed on Rua Honório de Barros in Flamengo, South Zone. The crime took place around 22:20 and lasted one minute. The couple was approached by a man who pointed a gun at both and demanded that they hand over their belongings. Then the criminal walked away quietly.
06/09/2023 – British Airways airline crew was robbed during the crew’s overnight stay in the city. The robbery caused the postponement of the flight to Heathrow Airport, England. The airline crew was on leave in the city when they were robbed. They were staying in Copacabana, South Zone, and took a taxi from the hotel to an unidentified destination. Halfway through the journey, they disagreed with the price charged by the driver. The crew then decided to get off in the middle of the trip to order a car from an app. The taxi driver left the foreigners in Penha, North Zone. Minutes after getting out of the taxi, they were robbed.
07/09/2023 – A three-year-old child was shot at the Arco Metropolitano, in Seropédica, Baixada Fluminense. The victim was in the car with her family when shots were fired at the vehicle. Relatives say the shot came from Federal Highway Police’s officers (PRF). The PRF reported that it is investigating the case.
07/09/2023 – A retired military police officer was shot in the head inside his vehicle in Guadalupe, North Zone. Police officers from the Irajá Battalion went to Rua Marcos de Macedo and found a vehicle after the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall. When they checked the car, they found the victim already dead. So far, there were 43 security agents killed in 2023.
07/09/2023 – An attempt to loot a supermarket on Avenida Brasil, close to the Manguinhos neighborhood, North Zone, ended with shooting and the road being blocked. According to the Military Police, the attempted looting was made by residents, and police teams were called to contain the situation. The police was attacked by criminals from Conjunto Boa Esperança, and traffic on Avenida Brasil was interrupted.
09/09/2023 – Police officers from UPP Pavão Pavãozinho/Cantagalo arrested two men and a woman, at the exit of the Sá Freire Alvim Tunnel, in Copacabana, South Zone with a pistol, seven grenades and ammunition. The police were informed that a baile funk had taken place in the community of Pavão Pavãozinho, and that some attendees were leaving the area armed.
09/09/2023 – Municipal Guard agents recovered a backpack containing a cell phone, credit cards and a shirt belonging to a civil police officer from Brasília. The 66-year-old man was on Copacabana beach, South Zone. He was approached by a man who fled with his cell phone and backpack. The criminal was found trying to escape on a bicycle.
10/09/2023 – A motorcyclist was shot dead, and his wife was shot in an attempted robbery on Linha Vermelha, near Tom Jobim Airport, North Zone. According to the Fire Department, soldiers were called at 7:44 pm and found the 24-year-old man dead at the scene. The police are investigating the case.
12/09/2023 – A Military Police captain had his weapon stolen after suffering an attempted robbery on Rua São Salvador, in Laranjeiras, South Zone. The police officer was getting into his car shortly before 6:00, when a man on a motorcycle announced the robbery. The police officer reacted. The bandit shot but didn’t hit the officer. The vehicle was not stolen, but the robber managed to escape with the weapon.
13/09/2023 – At least five armed men invaded an Itaú bank branch on Rua de Santana, in downtown Rio. According to witnesses, at least one woman was taken hostage, but was released after negotiations between the Military Police and the criminals. Shots were heard inside the agency. All criminals were arrested.
13/09/2023 – A 77-year-old woman was shot after mistakenly entering Estrada da Chácara, in Praça Seca, West Zone — an area disputed by drug traffickers and militiamen. The victim did not roll down the car windows and the community’s criminals shot at the vehicle. After shooting the driver, criminals realized that she was not a police officer or rival bandits, apologized to the victim, and ordered her to be helped.
16/09/2023 – The Madureira neighborhood, North Zone, recorded intense shootings during the early hours of the morning. Shots were heard in the communities of Serrinha, Juramento, Congonha and Primavera. These communities are close to Praça Seca, where clashes also took place this week. Witnesses said that traffickers from the Third Comando Puro (TCP) left Complexo da Serrinha and took control of Morro da Primavera from Comando Vermelho (CV).
18/09/2023 – A mate seller was arrested in São Conrado beach, South Zone. Known as Léo do Matte, he is 39 years old, and there were four arrest warrants against him. Furthermore, the seller already had seven criminal records for car theft and robbery of pedestrians, all involving the use of a firearm. According to the police, he committed crimes in neighborhoods in the North Zone of Rio and used false documents to avoid being identified.
19/09/2023 – A grenade was detonated on Yellow Line, on the road towards Barra da Tijuca, close to the neighborhood of Pilares, West Zone, early in the morning. Nobody was injured. Employees of the concessionaire that manages the expressway found the object during a routine inspection and called the Military Police. The military then called the Civil Police Bomb Squad, which chose to detonate it. The incident resulted in the closure of two lanes of the Yellow Line.
21/09/2023 – Military and civil police carried out an operation in Cidade de Deus, West Zone. The action aims to arrest criminals involved in a war over territories between drug traffickers and militiamen in the Praça Seca region, also in the West Zone. Teams from the Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) went to Cidade de Deus, with the support of agents from the Special Resources Coordination (Core). By 6:40, three criminals had been arrested. To make it difficult for the teams to move, bandits set fire to barricades made with debris and trash.
24/09/2023 – The Military Police recorded a series of mass robberies in Praia do Leme, South Zone. Two men were arrested. After the incident, policing was reinforced in the region. During the action, the police were attacked, and the criminals threw several objects at them. Videos circulating on social media show the moment of confrontation. A tourist from Puerto Rico had her cell phone and wallet stolen.
24/09/2023 – A judge was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery on Rodovia Washington Luis, in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense. According to the Federal Highway Police, two criminals on a motorcycle tried to rob him, he reacted and exchanged shots with the bandits.
26/09/2023 – Former reality show participant Diego Alemão was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon. He was on Avenida Delfim Moreira, in Leblon, South Zone. According to officers, Diego said he would shoot in the street. According to the Military Police, a team was called to check the presence of an armed man in Ipanema. Upon arriving at the scene, the police were informed that he had gotten into a taxi. The police managed to intercept the vehicle on Avenida Delfim Moreira. When Alemão was searched, officers found the revolver.
27/09/2023 – A man was injured in the explosion of a homemade grenade on a bus on Avenida Brasil, near Barros Filho, North Zone, around 21:30. Two other people were hit. Residents report that the attack on the bus was coordinated by criminals from the Gogó do Chapadão community with the intention of blaming drug traffickers from Complexo da Pedreira. The two groups have been competing for control of drug trafficking for about a week. The objective of the action would be to cause a distraction and direct police efforts to that area.
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.
