Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: actions

Partnership with the Federal Police Department

Foto: UNODC

Since 1991, the UNODC maintains a partnership with the Brazilian Federal Police Department (DPF), which is responsible for preventing and restraining illicit drugs trafficking, smuggling and embezzlement, as well as for performing the functions of maritime, airport and border police.

The partnership includes the improvement of the Federal Police investigation capacity, actions for the control of chemical precursors used in the manufacture of illicit drugs, acquisition of high-technology equipment and promotion of studies to assist the Federal Police's work.

From 1998 to 2005, UNODC supported the execution of two projects coordinated by the Federal Police, with the purpose of improving police training, through the modernization of training structures and methods at the National Police Academy, and increasing control over chemical precursors. UNODC has so cooperated with normative improvement and strengthening of control and enforcement, both nationally and internationally.

In 2007, a new project was initiated with a view to strengthen the DPF's capacity in the combat against organized crime. The activities in progress include actions for the improvement of the DPF Department for Organized Crime's infrastructure, development and implementation of effective chemical precursors controls and actions towards the repression of drug trafficking.

A particularly interesting initiative is the DPF project on chemical precursors, called PeQui Project. This initiative allows the chemical profile tracing of drugs apprehended across the country and the identification of characteristics such as: origin of the drug, products used for its manufacture, traffic transport conditions and purity of each sample. Combined with the investigation results, these data establish connections between criminal groups and suppliers, trace traffic routes and identify products that must be a control priority in each of the country's regions. Apart from assisting in investigation, the chemical analyses also serve as scientific evidence in judicial proceedings.

Another strong area of the partnership relates to joint activities between UNODC and the DPF's National Police Academy, which includes not only training for Brazilian policemen, but also interchange with officers from other countries. Since 2008, 158 policemen from neighbouring countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Colombia) and from Portuguese-speaking African countries (Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Angola and Mozambique) have been trained in the Police Academy located in Brasilia.

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