Since the beginning of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the Federal Highway Police and the National Secretariat of Public Security have seized 13,300 illegal weapons.
In 2023, 8,466 weapons were seized, representing a 28% increase compared to 2022. Between January and April 2024, seizures totaled 2,405.
“The focus has been on preventing the occurrence of more serious crimes, such as intentional violent deaths, crimes of passion, and organized crime, which takes advantage of this illegal arms trade and, consequently, strengthens drug trafficking, arms trafficking itself, and other violent crimes,” said Rodney Silva, director of Integrated Operations and Intelligence at the National Secretariat of Public Security.
The state of Rio de Janeiro recorded the highest number of seizures, with 2,220 weapons confiscated, followed by Paraná (1,177), Amazonas (726) and Rio Grande do Sul (710). The other states had fewer than 700 seizures.
During
the 2022 elections, President Lula pledged to invest in enforcement tocombat illegal weapons in the country.One of the measures adopted by the government was the National Program to Combat Criminal Organizations, which has a federal contribution of R$ 900 million until 2026.
In addition, there was an expansion of the Sensitive Investigation Groups and the Integrated Forces to Combat Organized Crime, which are part of the Federal Police.
In the government’s assessment, the strengthening of these sectors has impacted the rates of firearms seizures in the country.
“The challenge for public security in the fight against the illegal use of firearms involves strengthening public security intelligence activity, the integration of forces, and the participation of society in the collective construction of alternative solutions in search of understanding on conflict resolution,” Silva added.
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