Approximately 100 thermal backpacks and 200 branded shirts were stolen from an iFood cargo truck in Rio de Janeiro after a free equipment exchange ran short of supplies on Wednesday (14). Delivery couriers forced their way into the vehicle near the Parque das Rosas area of Barra da Tijuca, in the city’s West Zone, immediately after organizers announced that the remaining stock could not cover the roughly 300 workers waiting in line.

Key details recorded by local authorities regarding the Barra da Tijuca operation include:

• Roughly 300 delivery workers gathered in the queue to compete for an initial stock of 200 thermal backpacks.
• The crowd rushed the vehicle when organizers confirmed that 86 bags had been handed out and only 114 remained inside the truck.
• Officers from the 31st Military Police Battalion (BPM) responded to the scene, while the 16th Police Precinct (DP) opened an investigation using security camera footage.
• Both the Military Police and the delivery platform confirmed that the incident ended with no injuries, arrests, or material seizures.

Equipment deficit at the Barra da Tijuca tent overwhelmed private security

Staff members had already begun swapping worn-out gear for new thermal bags — commonly called “bags” by Brazilian couriers — at a tent set up along Avenida Marechal Henrique Lott and Avenida General Felicíssimo when tensions escalated. Once the event coordinator informed the crowd that the initial batch of 200 units was down to 114 backpacks after the first 86 exchanges, roughly a third of the 300 couriers in line realized they would leave empty-handed.

Angered by the supply cap, dozens of workers bypassed the distribution tent and climbed directly into the cargo compartment of the truck. Two private security guards hired to oversee the queue were unable to hold back the crowd as items were pulled from the vehicle. Event managers called in officers from the 31st BPM, based in the neighboring Recreio dos Bandeirantes district, to restore order along the avenue. Neither the police force nor the company reported any physical injuries or detentions during the dispersal.

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Official statement from iFood and worker complaints over app invitations

Brazil’s largest food delivery platform issued an official statement condemning the looting while noting that it regularly hosts in-person events to replace courier gear free of charge. “Following an incident during an iFood backpack distribution drive, which takes place on a recurring basis, the organization called the Military Police,” the company stated. In the same release, management added that “this isolated episode does not represent the conduct of the thousands of couriers who use the platform as a source of dignified daily income and reaffirms its respect for these professionals.”

Across social media, couriers who attended the Barra da Tijuca drive blamed poor logistical planning and claimed the app had sent notifications to more than 1,000 registered riders — a figure iFood has not officially confirmed. “What happened was that iFood sent the invitation to more than a thousand people, and when we got there, there were only 300 bags for distribution. Not justifying this vandalism, but it was a total lack of preparation by iFood. There were people in line for two hours who couldn’t get a bag,” said one delivery worker who waited at the site. Another rider criticized both the turnout management and the theft online: “A grotesque error by iFood, but it does not justify such behavior. That is why society looks at us with suspicion”.

Municipal meal law and ongoing police investigation in West Rio

The confrontation in Barra da Tijuca took place four days after Rio de Janeiro

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• October 10, 2026: Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere signs Municipal Law No. 9,577/2026, granting app couriers facilitated access to municipal public restaurants.
• October 14, 2026: A free thermal backpack replacement drive organized by iFood in Barra da Tijuca ends in a crowd rush and the looting of the campaign truck.
• October 15, 2026: Cellphone videos showing workers climbing into the cargo bay and dismantling the tent spread across social media platforms.

The event coordinator gave a formal deposition at the 16th Police Precinct (DP) in Barra da Tijuca, where the theft was officially registered with the Civil Police, the state agency responsible for criminal investigations. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from surrounding buildings to identify the individuals who removed the 100 backpacks and 200 shirts, though authorities have not yet confirmed any formal identifications or account deactivations by iFood.