More than 60% of energy theft is in militia areas – 05/27/2023 – Market

The areas dominated by the militia are the ones that had the most complaints of energy theft in Rio de Janeiro. This is what the survey carried out by the Sheet based on crossing data from Light, the Disque Denúncia and the Nucleus for the Study of New Illegalisms at the Fluminense Federal University (Geni/UFF).

This year alone, there were 667 complaints made against this type of practice in areas controlled by the militia, which is equivalent to 59% of all cases in the capital and more than a third of the entire state.

This index does not include neighborhoods where the militia is present, but where it is not the group with the greatest control of the territory. This is the case of Olaria, for example, which has received 33 complaints since January, making it the fifth neighborhood in the capital with the most complaints. In addition to militiamen, Olaria also has areas dominated by traffickers from the Comando Vermelho (CV).

Areas dominated by CV criminals are in second place in the ranking of complaints, with 273 complaints —which is equivalent to half of the occurrences in regions where militiamen predominate.

Electricity theft is used by criminals as a strategy to exercise dominion over local residents. The crooks often charge mandatory extra fees to ensure the supply of light. Considered a “non-violent enterprise”, this is one of the factors that indicate the control of armed groups over the territory.

“This is not about the presence of these groups, but about the control of everyday life in these spaces characterized from different activities and social dynamics”, says the Geni/UFF report, which maps where each of these armed groups is dominant in the region of the Greater River and adjacencies.

In the first five months of this year, the Disque Denuncia received 2,036 reports of energy theft. More than half of them, 1,116, were in the capital. The actual number of thefts, however, is higher, given that this practice is often not reported, either because of an interest in using the energy that is diverted, or for fear of suffering reprisals.

Energy theft —or “gato”, as it is also known— happens when a clandestine connection is made to divert electricity without having to pay the concessionaires for the service. This illegal practice overloads the electrical networks, making the energy supply more expensive and potentially causing short circuits or fires.

“These practices of armed groups end up making people pay more expensive energy than, for example, in the richest neighborhoods. Not only for the quality of service, but also for the price. There are areas, which are connected to the regular network of concessionaires, where they charge a surcharge on top of regular taxation. So these residents pay the normal bill and still have to pay an extra fee to criminal groups. And there are areas where the only supply is the clandestine supply provided by these groups,” he says Daniel Hirata, Geni/UFF coordinator.

In the entire state, the place at the top of the ranking of complaints is Campo Grande, a neighborhood in Rio where there is a strong presence of militiamen. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 102 complaints of power theft in the area. The number corresponds to 9% of all complaints in the capital and 5% in Rio de Janeiro.

The vast majority of cases in the state, 86%, occur in regions where Light operates. With around R$ 11 billion in debt, the concessionaire recently filed for bankruptcy. One of the justifications is that it had millionaire losses because of the theft of light.

Light alleges that it cannot solve the problem due to the difficulty in accessing risk areas, as its employees are usually prevented from entering these regions due to the presence of armed groups and the lack of adequate policing. Thus, he says he does not have the minimum security conditions to repair the network and stop the theft.

The Military Police, in turn, says it works in cooperation with energy concessionaires, telecommunications operators and public bodies to seek joint solutions against cases of robbery and theft that affect services.

The Civil Police stated that it takes constant action to combat energy theft, supporting actions by the concessionaire. The corporation said it also investigates and carries out operations against criminal organizations that exploit territories in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Light said it was investigating the data that show how the situation of “cats” is today. A study by the concessionaire carried out in 2016 showed that the regions with the highest incidence of energy theft were, tied, the north and west zones of Rio, followed by Baixada Fluminense. The information coincides with the scenario traced by the data from the Disque Denúncia.

According to the institute, the north and west zones concentrate, respectively, 26.5% and 25.7% of the electricity theft complaints that occur in the state. The percentages are more than triple those registered by the second city in the ranking: Nova Iguaçu, in the Baixada Fluminense, with 8.2% of the complaints.

Then comes Duque de Caxias, with 6.7%; São Gonçalo, with 4.6%; and São João de Meriti, with 4.5%. Like the capital, these four cities also have areas under the control of armed groups, mainly CV militias and criminals.

Despite the strong connection between energy theft and organized crime, the survey shows that the practice does not only occur in territories controlled by crime.

This year, 70 complaints were made in the capital in areas where there is no presence of armed groups dominating the region. Among these neighborhoods are Humaitá and Glória, both in the south of the city; Maracanã, in the north zone, and Cidade Nova, the same neighborhood where Rio’s city hall is located. The number is equivalent to 6.2% of complaints in the city and 3.4% in the state.

There are also cases in which the complaint was made in neighborhoods where armed groups are present, but they occupy a small space within the territory. This is the case of Barra da Tijuca and Copacabana, both high-income neighborhoods in Rio, where, respectively, 10 and 7 complaints were registered.

According to a community leader from the Babilônia slum, in Leme, concessionaires are neglecting to service areas considered to be at risk. He, who prefers not to be identified, cites as an example the community in the south of Rio, which has already partnered with Light to expand access to electricity in the region.

He claims that the instability of the electricity grid and the high cost of electricity bills, added to the precarious service that the hill receives, mean that more people who live in these regions opt for “gatos”.