Two Arrested in Rio Pickup Theft Ring Linked to Maré Traffickers

Overview

• Civil Police from the 15th Precinct detained Fagner Yúri de Jesus (Pitoco) and Matheus Ferreira Vasconcelos (Coxinha) in flagrante during an attempted pickup theft on Avenida Lúcio Costa in Barra da Tijuca.
• Officers seized a key decoder, three cellphones and tools, with investigators citing the use of online-bought decoders and key emulators that enabled quick vehicle entry.
• The probe indicates the group operated in trios with a motorcycle scout, a rapid-entry operator and a lookout who monitored for police presence.
• Stolen vehicles were routed to Nova Holanda for new plates, dismantling or cross-border swaps, and were advertised in messaging groups for R$10,000 to R$20,000.
• The suspects face charges of association to drug trafficking and attempted qualified theft and were referred to the DRFA as part of Operação Torniquete’s second phase, which reports more than 735 arrests, roughly R$45 million in recovered goods and over R$70 million in blocked assets since 2024.