Trucks wait to load or unload goods at the Port of Santos, on Via do Meio, in the Alemoa neighborhood, in Santos Photo: Werther Santana/Estadão
There were 602 cases last year, according to data from the SP government, the highest number in the historical series that began in 2001; Critical points are the 'Curva da Onça', in Serra do Mar, and the Alemoa neighborhood, in Santos
Between January and December 2023, there were 602 records of cargo theft in Baixada Santista, according to data from the website of Secretariat of Public Security of the State of São Paulo (SSP-SP), which covers 24 municipalities in the region. It is a volume 156% higher compared to the previous year. It is also the highest number of occurrences in more than 20 years, since the beginning of the historical series, in 2001.
Cargo theft in Baixada cities also started to rise this year. In January, 36 incidents were recorded, compared to 31 in the same month of 2023. It is the highest result for a month of January since 2019, when there were 40 cargo thefts, according to official data.
The SSP-SP says, in a note, that it is aware of the indicators in Baixada Santista and has concentrated efforts to combat this criminal type.
“The region has unique seasonal and geographic characteristics, which influence crime indicators, in addition to being home to the largest port complex in Latin America. Even so, security forces have worked together, using intelligence and technology, to combat cargo theft.” Pasta claims that, in the three main cities in the region (Santos, São Vicente and Guarujá), there was a drop of five incidents in the first month of this year, compared to January 2023.
However, a study by the consultancy ICTS Security, made at the request of the Estadão, based on official data from SSP-SP, but with a selection of the most important cities in the region, points to an even higher growth rate in cargo theft in Baixada Santista in the last year: 268.3%. In 2023, there were 523 incidents of cargo theft in the logistics chain, compared to 142 in 2022.
To achieve this result, nine municipalities in the Baixada region most linked to the port region were selected: Santos, São Vicente, Praia Grande, Guarujá, Cubatão, Bertioga, Peruíbe, Mongaguá and Itanhaém. Only occurrences in the logistics chain were also filtered. Cargo theft on public transport, for example, was excluded.
The Business Director of ICTS Security, Saulo Chaves, responsible for the study, highlights that cargo thefts in the region became more frequent from the second half of last year and that the increase in incidents in Baixada Santista partially changed the ranking of the most targeted cities in the State of São Paulo.
In the last two years, the capital of São Paulo led the number of cargo thefts in the State, with around half of the records. In 2022, for example, Campinas, in the interior of the State of São Paulo, and São Bernardo Campo, in ABC Paulista, appeared on the list of the five cities with the most cargo thefts in the State, in fifth and third position, respectively, points out the study.
However, in 2023, Campinas and São Bernardo do Campo left the “top five” and were replaced by two municipalities in Baixada Santista. Praia Grande, with 3.4% of occurrences, and São Vicente (2.6%) came to occupy fourth and fifth positions in the ranking, respectively.
“The surprise of 2023 was the strong rise of Baixada Santista”, says Chaves. In previous years, he notes, cities in Baixada Santista were never among the five with the highest share of cargo theft incidents. In any case, the consultant says he is still cautious. “I prefer to wait until 2024 to have a more precise diagnosis if, in fact, Baixada has become a problem.”
Regarding the fact that the capital of São Paulo leads the ranking of occurrences, the SSP-SP says in a note that “it has reinforced policing in strategic points and intensified investigations to identify and arrest gangs, including receivers”.
As a result of these actions, says the note, “the capital of São Paulo recorded a drop of 22.5% in cargo thefts in the first two months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. Last year, 98 offenders were arrested for cargo-related crimes and 113 police investigations were resolved by Divecar – a division of Deic specialized in investigations of this nature. Furthermore, 81 people were arrested in incidents of this nature in January this year throughout São Paulo.”
Added to this, says the note, “since the 8th, around 16 suspects involved in cargo theft have been arrested in actions carried out by the Civil and Military police in the Capital, and cargo valued at more than R$ 200 thousand has been recovered” . “The most recent action took place this Wednesday (20), in the south zone, and resulted in the arrest of 11 people, as well as the recovery of three vehicles and two loads”, he states.
'Curva da Onça' and the Alemoa neighborhood
The study by ICTS, an Israeli consultancy that has been in Brazil since 1995 and has transport companies and large industries as clients, points out that the highest concentration of robberies is normally along the Anchieta, Imigrantes and BR-101 highways. And these occurrences are the responsibility of the municipalities in the region crossed by these roads, such as São Vicente and Praia Grande. Together, the two cities accounted for almost 60% of cargo thefts recorded in Baixada Santista last year, according to data from SSP-SP.
The most critical point for the trucks to approach the gangs is in the Serra do Mar section, more specifically at kilometer 44 of the Anchieta highway, called “Curva da Onça”, according to the retired colonel Mauro Ricciarelli, security advisor at NTC&Logística. The association brings together around 400 road transport companies.
Waiting for the loading or unloading of cargo at the Port of Santos, truck drivers spend up to a week parked on Avenida do Meio, in Alemoa, in Santos, and spend the night in the trucks Photo: Werther santana/Estadão
The “Curva da Onça” is very closed, as if it were an elbow, he describes. This forces truck drivers to reduce their speed by practically half when traveling this stretch and creates the opportunity for robbers to approach drivers.
Colonel Ricciarelli says that the approach is normally carried out by a group of at least ten people, carrying a revolver, pistol and even a rifle. The driver is taken over and the truck is stopped on the shoulder or on the road itself. In a matter of minutes, the cargo is looted and transferred to another vehicle or carried to the communities that border the highway. “Typically, robberies occur on weekdays and at night.”
Colonel Ricciarelli notes that, in the last year, there was a reduction of 15% in the number of occurrences in the mountain section. In 2023, 57 reports were registered at this point in the Anchieta/Imigrantes System, compared to 67 in 2022. “It is logical that there is underreporting”, ponders the colonel, claiming that police reports are often not registered.
Despite the decline in cargo theft in this stretch, data still indicates that, last year, there was more than one case per week in the mountain stretch. In any case, Colonel Ricciarelli attributes the drop in the number of incidents to intelligent policing, based on data, which directs police vehicles to the most critical points.
Furthermore, he argues that there are other factors that contribute to this, such as the fact that the mountain section is lit and drivers are more careful when traveling through the region. “Even with the increase in the circulating fleet, crime has been reduced”, highlights the colonel, considering, however, that any cargo theft is a concern.
The Alemoa neighborhood, in the Northwest area of Santos, close to the Porto pier, is another critical area for cargo theft, according to transport companies operating in the region. According to them, approaches to truck drivers to steal cargo are frequent.
At the end of the day, many truck drivers usually arrive in Santos with loads destined for export. As the terminals receive cargo during the day and by appointment, drivers park loaded vehicles on the three main roads in the Alemoa neighborhood. They end up spending the night in the truck and become the target of robberies.
“Every month there are five to ten thefts, most of them cargo”, says a transporter who prefers to remain anonymous. He explains that there are thefts of truck drivers' belongings, such as cell phones, but the robbers often take the truck with its load. He adds that the most targeted cargo for theft is crystal sugar, reaching 90% in cases, because it is easier to dump on the market.
In August last year, for example, a truck loaded with crystal sugar from the transport company JMM, in Ribeirão Preto (SP), was the target of an attempted robbery. The truck was parked on one of the roads in the Alemoa neighborhood, waiting to unload the next day.
Wellington Nunes, the company's shipper, says that it was night and the driver was sleeping, waiting to take the cargo to the terminal. He was approached by two robbers who broke the cabin glass and entered the truck's passenger compartment. “They tried to take the truck, but they couldn’t because there was a blocker on the mechanical horse.” The cargo was valued at more than R$ 180 thousand.
After this episode, the transport company started directing the trucks to a private parking lot, located in Cubatão (SP). An overnight stay at the yard costs between R$ 120 and R$ 150. “We pay out of pocket to avoid it, but most truck drivers stay on the street,” says Nunes.
Cell phones and TV become targets
In addition to sugar, meat, fabrics and electronics are usually the most targeted cargo for theft, according to Casemiro Tércio Carvalho, former president of the Port Authority and partner of the consultancy 4Infra, specialized in the port sector. As these products can be fractionated, this enables rapid distribution on the market. “If there is theft, it is because there is a receiver”, says the expert.
But the study by ICTS consultancy reveals that the target of the most stolen cargo in the Baixada Santista region has changed in the last year. It also deviated from the global standard that is food, fuel, pharmaceutical products, auto parts and textile materials.
Last year, the number one item for cargo theft was electronics (cell phone, notebook, TV), followed by white goods (refrigerator, stove, washing machine), large products. Only later did food (meat and drinks) and non-perishable items come. “The change in behavior occurred in 2023 and attracted attention,” says Chaves.
Source: https://www.estadao.com.br/economia/roubo-carga-baixada-santista-ocorrencias-dispararam/