Organized crime has newer and more modern weapons, according to an unprecedented investigation by the Sou da Paz Institute. If before the stock was dominated by old .38 caliber revolvers, smoothbore rifles and hunting rifles, after the Bolsonaro government, the arsenal was gradually replaced by new semi-automatic weapons, of more powerful calibers and which allow several shots to be fired in a few seconds.
The research “Crime Arsenal: Analysis of the profile of firearms seized in the Southeast” is a diagnosis of the seizures of more than 255 thousand weapons, made between 2018 and 2023, in the four Southeast states: Espírito Santos, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The mapping was based on data from state and federal forces over the five years.
The investigation reveals that the profile of the murder weapon in the South East region has changed over this five-year period. This transformation occurred after the relaxation of the arms control policy in place since 2019, which made weapons previously reserved for security forces accessible on the legal market.
This is particularly the case for 9 mm caliber pistols. Made available to civilians in 2019, the weapon migrated to the criminal market and its prevalence in seizures in the South-East increased from 7.4%, in 2018, to 18.8%, in 2023, compared to all weapons. Among pistols, growth is even more accelerated and appears in all states analyzed.
The institute points out that modern pistols have greater ammo capacity, instant reloading and, in the case of the 9x19mm, about 40 percent more energy than the .38spl.
In 2023, after strong pressure from civil society, decrees from the Lula government banned the sale of 9mm pistols to civilians. The measure did not stop traffic, however, underlines Malu Pinheiro, researcher at the Instituto Sou da Paz.
— We see that (this weapon) is still very present, there was a dizzying increase during the period when it was released. We attribute this modernization, this increase of semi-automatic weapons on the illicit market to the dismantling of regulations in 2019. In the years to come, we will still reap the fruits of what was done under the Bolsonaro government, says Malu.
The research also shows that between 2018 and 2023, the South East saw a 55.8% increase in seizures of rifles, submachine guns and machine guns. The rifle calibers 5.56 x 45 mm and 7.62 x 51 mm, given to collectors, sports shooters and hunters (CAC) during the period, are the main calibers seized among the rifles.
According to Malu, a major advance brought by the research was the analysis of the serial numbers of the weapons. From there, it was possible to discover that the time between the manufacture of the weapon and its seizure was decreasing throughout the Southeast region.
In five years, the average age of weapons seized decreased by approximately six years in Espírito Santo, by eight years in Minas Gerais and by two years in São Paulo. Rio de Janeiro did not disclose the serial number and therefore made analysis impossible.
According to the mapping, the arsenal in the hands of criminals is more recent, which indicates an accelerated diversion of newly purchased weapons. The volume of seized weapons less than two years old has multiplied, particularly in Minas Gerais, where it has increased tenfold, from 83 to 882. The distribution of recently manufactured weapons appearing in crimes is typical of intentional diversion.
The study also highlights the low quality of police records, with a high frequency of entries marked as “unidentified”. At least 30.6% of the total industrial weapons seized did not include any information on their brand. In addition, certain data have been denied by States.
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