Guinea-Bissau has a formal criminal justice framework under Código Penal Decreto-Lei 4/93 and Código de Processo Penal 5/93, but practical crime control is fragmented. The Polícia de Ordem Pública (POP) handles general policing, the Guarda Nacional provides security functions, and the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) focuses on criminal investigations. The Ministério Público, also known as the Procuradoria-Geral da República, and the courts handle prosecution and judicial steps. In Bissau, common everyday risks include pickpocketing, bag and mobile-phone theft, particularly around the airport, markets and public gatherings, as well as regular burglaries. Lock doors, close windows and secure personal documents. Outside Bissau, security coverage is more limited, while road banditry and carjacking can occur. Night travel carries higher risk. During travel and taxi checks, carry a passport or residence permit because identity documents may be requested. Crime also includes organized cross-border activity such as cocaine and other drug transit, smuggling and money laundering. Porous borders, a long coastline, 88 sparsely populated islands and a cash-based economy make monitoring difficult. Investigation and court capacity is constrained by underfunding, corruption and infiltration risks. Drug offences can bring severe penalties, and detention conditions are harsh. Fragmented local crime statistics do not support a reliable national prevalence rate. Domestic violence, sexual violence, rape and sexual abuse are underreported partly because victims fear making a report. In Bissau, a protection station at the prosecutor's office, a Social Assistance Service and reception centres provide support. The legal framework provides for free medical examination and treatment, legal assistance, psychological help and accommodation, but actual capacity varies by region. SOS 121 is documented for domestic violence, sexual violation and sexual harassment, although its current operation is not verified. Children may face human trafficking, forced begging, forced marriage and child labour. In 2024, 75 children affected by forced begging and 24 affected by forced marriage were identified and referred. The Instituto da Mulher e da Criança (IMC) coordinates case management with child-protection actors. Formal juvenile jurisdiction exists, but no specialized juvenile criminal courts are evidenced. Victims and witnesses can use the PJ's Queixa/Denúncia process, including secure and confidential online reporting. A reference number can be used to follow a case, and the loss or theft of a mobile phone can be reported using its IMEI. The PJ's territorial reach is expanding, including a new provincial directorate in Bafatá in 2026, but regional coverage remains uneven. Outside major centres, the POP and Guarda Nacional may be the practical first contacts, while village chiefs or religious leaders sometimes mediate informally; such mediation does not replace a formal criminal complaint. Published emergency numbers conflict. Canada and the FCDO list 117 for police, while the PJ website publishes 121. Medical assistance is listed as 119, while fire services are listed as 118 by the PJ and 1313 by the FCDO. Verify numbers locally before relying on them, because no standard complaint fee or guaranteed response time is publicly established. Guinea-Bissau has no directly evidenced national cybercrime reporting system or dedicated cybercrime channel. Law 5/2010 on TIC regulates telecommunications and internet governance, and the ARN regulates telecommunications and the .gw domain, but a national CERT is not reliably evidenced. Preserve messages, device information, transaction records and other digital evidence, then report through the PJ, POP or Guarda Nacional and the Ministério Público. Political instability, demonstrations, mines, terrorism and road traffic are separate security matters, although they can affect crime-related safety planning.
Crime in Guinea-Bissau
Crime in Guinea-Bissau includes theft, robbery, burglary, violence, trafficking and other threats that affect everyday safety. In Bissau, pickpocketing, bag and phone theft, especially around the airport, markets and public gatherings, and burglaries are recurring concerns; outside the capital, limited security coverage and road banditry or carjacking increase uncertainty, particularly at night. Responses involve the Polícia de Ordem Pública (POP), Guarda Nacional, Polícia Judiciária (PJ) and prosecutors, but reporting channels, regional access and victim support remain uneven.
Tip
Treat crime planning in Guinea-Bissau as a layered safety decision: reduce exposure first, secure identity documents and valuables, and choose a reporting path that matches the urgency and location. Tighten precautions around airports, markets, public gatherings and night travel, especially outside Bissau where coverage may be uneven. For violence, trafficking, child harm or digital theft, preserve evidence and use formal channels instead of relying only on informal mediation or an unverified phone number.