Brazilian cities intensify inspections of businesses and public spaces

The municipality of Santos reported conducting 19,191 commercial inspections in the first half of 2026, a 43% rise over the same period last year, issuing 1,782 notices, 75 fines and five activity embargoes. In Betim, municipal security officials stepped up patrols on Avenida Amazonas to curb illegal street vending, seizing weapons and detaining a couple after one officer was assaulted. São Caetano do Sul’s municipal guard arrested three men in a pharmacy robbery, recovering goods worth about R$130 000 and returning a stolen vehicle to its owner. Cruzeiro’s municipal guard carried out targeted checks on bars and adegas operating without licenses, ordering a temporary closure of a non‑compliant venue after noise complaints. A joint operation by the Guarda Civil Municipal and the environmental agency in Aparecida de Goiânia seized six vehicles involved in illegal waste dumping and issued fines ranging from R$5 000 to R$50 000. In Campo Grande, the national oil agency ANP, together with the local consumer protection office, inspected a fuel station for price abuse and found no violations, part of a broader plan to increase fuel‑price monitoring nationwide.