Electricity theft investigations in Brazil

Police operations in Brazil have targeted electricity theft within the industrial and agricultural sectors. In Guarulhos, authorities discovered meter tampering at a plastics factory, causing an estimated R$ 10,000 loss to the distributor EDP.

In Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, a joint operation between the Civil Police and Energisa Mato Grosso resulted in an arrest at a stud farm. Investigators found a direct connection to the distribution network that bypassed meters for high-demand equipment like lighting and climate control.

Authorities highlighted that these illegal connections pose risks of fire and electrical overloads. In Mato Grosso, more than 210 arrests have been made for energy theft in 2026, amid legal frameworks that have increased maximum sentences for such offenses to up to six years of imprisonment.

In the rural area of Varjão, Goiás, a joint task force involving the Public Ministry of Goiás, environmental agencies, and Equatorial Goiás identified three points of electricity theft at a local development. The investigation uncovered irregular connections used to power a well pump, a kitchen, a carpentry shop, and a rest area, resulting in arrests in flagrante.