Sao Paulo's Civil Police dismantled a group planning a violent attack with bombs and Molotov cocktails on Avenida Paulista on Monday (2). Twelve suspects, aged 15 to 30, were detained following digital monitoring. The operation prevented a coordinated assault in other cities like Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
Authorities from Sao Paulo's Public Security Secretariat (SSP), through the Digital Observation and Analysis Unit (Noad), identified and detained 12 suspects involved in a plan for a violent demonstration on Avenida Paulista, one of the capital's main thoroughfares. The attack was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday (2), without a defined agenda, and would be part of a coordinated action in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
The suspects, aged 15 to 30, were approached by the Military Police while some were already at the site, carrying explosives, masks, Molotov cocktails, and posters. In Botucatu, in the state's interior, police seized fake firearms, knives, and real weapons from a 15-year-old's home. The group was part of a national network with around 7,000 to 8,000 participants in Telegram chats, where they shared tutorials on making homemade bombs, blocking cell signals, and identifying undercover police.
"It was a major anticipatory effort by the police's Digital Observation and Analysis Unit. We managed to prevent a possible attack that would happen this Monday," said Public Security Secretary Osvaldo Nico Goncalves in a press conference. He noted that the demonstration aimed at creating turmoil without a specific agenda. Civil Police Chief Delegate Artur Dian added: "This is another attack we prevented through digital monitoring. Officers infiltrated these groups and identified the main organizers."
The investigation, supported by the Cyber Crimes Division (DCCiber), tracked increased use of keywords related to violent crimes on digital platforms. Six of the detainees held command roles in the group, which focused mobilization in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with nearly 600 members in the capital's virtual community.
