A report on the television program Fantástico showed how rifles legally acquired ended up in the hands of drug dealers; and how that same fraudulent network armed unprepared people.
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A criminal known as Xirú, was arrested along with four other drug dealers in February in Operation Chapa Branca: the Federal Police discovered 18 weapons with them, 17 of them legally purchased, and six, including a rifle, were with Xirú. For the police, what they had in common was that they attended the same shooting range.
Thus, 17 weapons were seized from international drug traffickers, and they were legally acquired weapons, because people had a CAC (collector, shooter, and hunter) certification. According to the Federal Police, this was the largest shooting range in Brazil, with 8,000 members, and offered a complete package: legal assistance, weapons, and training.
Our Analysis:
There was an increase in the number of CACs (collector, shooter, and hunter) because of the relaxation of rules for the purchase of weapons and ammunition – including those for restricted use – in the Bolsonaro government. Until 1 July, 2022, the number of CACs grew by 474% in Brazil, and crimes committed with firearms by a minority of collectors, shooters and hunters have been frequent. In addition, data obtained via the Access to Information Law show that the involvement of CACs in occurrences registered in accordance with the Maria da Penha Law jumped from four in 2019 to 48 last year.