A study developed by the Sou da Paz Institute showed that between 2015 and 2020 the Brazilian Armed Forces no longer had control of 54 weapons, including machine guns, rifles, shotguns and pistols, which were owned by the Air Force, Army and Navy.
During the period, there is no record similar to the “disappearance” of machine guns, such as what occurred on the 10th at the Army War Arsenal in Barueri, Greater São Paulo. At the time, 21 weapons were missing from the scene. Of these, eight were located last Thursday (19) in Rio de Janeiro.
The cut made by the institute, which obtained access to the numbers via the Access to Information Law (LAI), includes scenarios ranging from disappearances in warehouses to professionals who were victims of robberies. The data also covers losses “or even intentional diversion through sale to the illegal market”, according to the document.
The study explains that the term “diversion” is “used to characterize the state-owned weapon that is no longer under this control in spite of the State’s desire” and concludes that the control of stockpiles of firearms and ammunition owned by the State is insufficient in Brazil.
Regarding the characteristics of the weapons, the data provided by the Army does not mention brands. In general terms, the agency reported that, between January 2015 and March 2020, ten rifles, nine pistols, five shotguns, one submachine gun and two machine guns, totaling 27 weapons, disappeared from controls. Due to the lack of details, it is not possible to estimate the loss in values.
In relation to the Navy, 21 weapons, 12 rifles and nine pistols were stolen, stolen or diverted, and in 2016 alone, six rifles were not included in the corporation’s inventory. The Air Force now accounts for the diversion of six pistols, all 9mm caliber, which are for use restricted to federal forces.
Weapons can be repaired or repaired
Since the first information about the disappearance of the weapons, the Army investigation, which did not rule out the possibility of a checking error, diversion or theft, says that “the weapons are useless and were in the Arsenal, for the process of undoing and destroying the weapons. weapons whose repair is unfeasible”, according to the note.
A CNN spoke with Natália Pollachi, who is Project Coordinator at Instituto Sou da Paz in the area of arms control and criminal justice, and one of those responsible for the study. She spoke about what may have happened in the case of the disappearance of weapons in Barueri, about the storage of weapons by security forces and the possibility of repairs to Army weapons.
“When they say the weapons were undergoing maintenance, I understand that it was awaiting repair. It is important to comment that nowadays, unfortunately, organized crime has its own gunsmiths. We have already seen several cases of high-quality artisanal weapons being manufactured and people repairing complex weapons”, he explains.
Regarding the possible refurbishment of powerful weapons, Pollachi says that it is possible for weapon parts to be refurbished or repaired for a combination of parts and that regardless of the “unserviceable” classification, the damage caused by the weapons can be considered extensive.
“If there are 13 .50 machine guns and they are all undergoing maintenance, it is such a powerful weapon, for use in war. If out of these 13 they manage to repair five or six, it is already a huge amount of damage. If they manage to recombine the pieces, it is already a huge damage”, he concludes.
Investigation into the disappearance of machine guns in Barueri
The investigation into the disappearance of 13 .50 caliber machine guns and eight 7.62 caliber machine guns from the Army War Arsenal in Barueri remains confidential.
Last night, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police reported that eight weapons were recovered, four .50 caliber and four 7.62 caliber. According to the Army, the main line of investigation is that there was a theft with the participation of military personnel. The agency does not rule out that civilians participated in the action.
In a press conference, General Maurício Vieira Gama, chief of staff of the Southeast Military Command, said that it is possible that the weapons were removed from the warehouse between the 5th and 8th of September and that the location was last opened on the 6th of that month.
Gama said that the episode is unacceptable and that the Army is reviewing weapons storage processes. He informed that Lieutenant Colonel Batista, director of the Arsenal de Guerra, will be dismissed.
Regarding the military personnel who participated in the action, Gama reinforced that “all military personnel from the São Paulo War Arsenal (AGSP) who were responsible for supervision or control and who were proven to have committed irregularities, will be held responsible and will carry out disciplinary punishments, in light of the Disciplinary Regulations. of the Army (RDE)”
The weapons, which are capable of piercing armored vehicles and downing aircraft, in addition to being able to hit a target with precision at more than 1.5 kilometers, according to experts consulted by the report, have high added value. In the case of .50 machine guns, the price on the illegal market can exceed R$200,000.
What the Armed Forces say
Wanted by CNN the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) reported that “all cases of lost weapons are rigorously investigated and generate the opening of Military Police Inquiries (IPM), which, after the process is completed, are the domain of the Military Public Ministry”.
Army and Navy have not yet commented.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
