Ghost Guns Are Increasingly Empowering Brazil’s Powerful Gangs – InSight Crime

Illicit Arms Trafficking in Brazil: A Barrier to Sustainable Development Goal 16

A recent anti-gang operation in Rio de Janeiro, resulting in significant casualties and weapon seizures, highlights a critical challenge to Brazil’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The escalating firepower of criminal organizations, fueled by diversified arms supplies, directly undermines efforts to reduce violence (Target 16.1) and combat organized crime by curbing illicit arms flows (Target 16.4).

Escalating Violence and its Impact on Urban Sustainability

The Rio de Janeiro Case Study

An operation conducted on October 28 serves as a stark indicator of the scale of violence, directly impeding the achievement of SDG 16.1, which aims to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates.

• An estimated 130 individuals were killed, marking it the city’s most lethal police operation against organized crime.
• Authorities seized at least 90 rifles in this single incident, a figure nearly double the total recorded for the entire preceding month.
• This level of violence disrupts community safety and erodes public trust, creating an environment contrary to the principles of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Analysis of Illicit Arms Proliferation

Key Findings from Academic Research

A recent academic report, “Blind Fire: The Rise of Military-Style Firearms amid Regulatory Failures and Data Deficiency in Brazil,” provides critical analysis of the dynamics of arms trafficking, particularly in the country’s Southeast region. The findings demonstrate a clear failure to meet the objectives of SDG 16.4, which calls for a significant reduction in illicit arms flows.

• Brazil’s Southeast, home to major criminal organizations like the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (CV), is a central hub for arms trafficking.
• Military-style firearms are identified as crucial tools for these groups to expand territorial control and execute violent crimes, including bank robberies and executions.
• The proliferation of these weapons represents a direct threat to state institutions and the rule of law, core components of SDG 16.

The Rise of Improvised Firearms (“Ghost Guns”)

The report details a concerning trend in the local production of untraceable, improvised firearms, which presents a new challenge to security and regulatory frameworks.

1. The emergence of “ghost guns” intensified around 2017, driven by increased demand from inter-gang conflicts. These weapons offered a cheaper, untraceable alternative to foreign-sourced arms.
2. The manufacturing process has evolved from small-scale home production using parts from the United States to a more sophisticated, industrial-scale operation.
3. Clandestine factories are now utilizing modern machinery, including 3D printers, to produce more durable and precise rifles, further complicating efforts to control illicit arms as mandated by SDG 16.4.

Institutional Response and Policy Gaps

Current State Strategies and Deficiencies

The effectiveness of Brazil’s response is hampered by strategic and data-related shortcomings, indicating a need to strengthen national institutions in line with SDG 16.a. Current policies often focus on the possession of weapons rather than systematically targeting the trafficking networks and production sources.

• While the creation of specialized police stations to combat arms trafficking is a positive development, policies remain in early stages and lack comprehensive structure.
• A significant policy gap exists in the investigation of trafficking dynamics, with authorities often lacking fundamental data on the types of weapons entering the market and the prevalence of ghost guns.

The Critical Role of Data in Achieving SDG 16

Deficiencies in data collection and analysis represent a major obstacle to formulating effective, evidence-based policies. Improving these systems is essential for building the accountable and transparent institutions central to SDG 16.

• Existing data is often of low quality and suffers from inconsistent registration, hindering accurate analysis of trafficking routes and sources.
• Basic procedures, such as systematically reporting erased serial numbers or identifying improvised weapons, are not consistently implemented.
• This lack of reliable data prevents authorities from recognizing and responding to emerging threats in a timely and effective manner.

Recommendations for Strengthening Institutions and Promoting Peace

To advance towards SDG 16, a series of strategic improvements are necessary to enhance the capacity of state institutions to combat illicit arms trafficking effectively.

Policy and Operational Enhancements

1. Strengthen Federal Tracking: The capacity of the Federal Police’s arms tracking center must be significantly increased to manage the high volume of trafficking, with an estimated 100,000 arms seized annually in Brazil.
2. Improve Data Collection and Management: Implement and enforce standardized data registration protocols for all seized firearms to ensure data quality and consistency.
3. Enhance Officer Training: Provide specialized training for police officers on identifying and accurately recording key characteristics of seized weapons, including signs of improvised manufacturing or tampered identification numbers.
4. Foster Intelligence Integration: Create stronger links between officers in the field and intelligence analysts to ensure that collected data is effectively used to inform strategic interventions and policy development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The primary Sustainable Development Goal addressed in the article is SDG 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is central to the article’s entire narrative. The text discusses issues of extreme violence, organized crime, and illicit arms trafficking, which are direct challenges to peace and security. The article details a “deadly anti-gang raid” that “killed an estimated 130 people,” highlighting the failure to maintain peace. It also analyzes the role of major criminal organizations like the PCC and the Red Command, the proliferation of illegal firearms, and the shortcomings of state institutions (police, federal tracking centers) in tackling these problems. The call for better data collection, specialized police units, and more effective policies directly relates to building stronger and more accountable institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s focus on violence, organized crime, and institutional response, several specific targets under SDG 16 can be identified:

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

   The article directly addresses this target by reporting on the high levels of violence in Rio de Janeiro. The opening sentence describes an “extremely deadly anti-gang raid” that resulted in an estimated 130 deaths, calling it the “city’s most lethal operation against organized crime to date.” The text also refers to the broader context of “widespread expansion by organized crime, and war between gangs,” including “frequent territorial disputes and deaths.”

2. Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

   This target is a core theme of the article. The analysis focuses on “arms trafficking routes,” the “illegal, homemade production of military-grade weapons,” and the rise of untraceable “ghost rifles.” The article explicitly discusses the methods criminal organizations use to “diversify their arms supplies” and the challenges authorities face in tackling “trafficking and the production of improvised guns.”

3. Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels… to prevent violence and combat… crime.

   The article critiques the current state of Brazilian institutions and proposes ways to strengthen them. It points out “failures in information collection by Brazilian authorities” and notes that “policies in Brazil aimed at arms trafficking are still in very early stages of development.” To address this, it recommends strengthening the “Federal Police’s tracking center,” creating “specialized police stations to combat arms trafficking,” and improving data collection through “standardization of data and increased training for police officers.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that align with the official SDG indicators for measuring progress.

• For Target 16.1 (Reduce violence and death rates):
  • Indicator 16.1.1 (Number of victims of intentional homicide): The article provides a direct data point for this indicator by stating that a single police raid “killed an estimated 130 people.” This figure, while from one event, serves as a stark measure of the high death rate associated with organized crime and law enforcement operations.
• For Target 16.4 (Reduce illicit arms flows):
  • Indicator 16.4.2 (Proportion of seized arms whose illicit origin has been traced): The article provides extensive data related to this indicator. It mentions the seizure of “at least 90 rifles in that one incident” and that “Brazil seizes around 100,000 arms per year.” Critically, it highlights the challenge of tracing weapons by discussing the rise of “ghost rifles,” which are described as “untraceable.” The call for better data on seized weapons, including noting if a serial number is erased or if it is a homemade weapon, directly relates to improving the ability to measure this indicator.
• For Target 16.a (Strengthen national institutions):
  • Implied Institutional Capacity Indicators: While not referencing official UN indicators, the article implies several ways to measure institutional strength. Progress could be measured by:
    • The number of “specialized police stations to combat arms trafficking” that are established and operational.
    • The operational capacity and budget of the “Federal Police’s tracking center.”
    • The implementation of standardized procedures for “registering seized guns” to improve data quality, which the article notes is currently “flawed due to low quality and registration problems.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insightcrime.org