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After the federal government’s policy of easing access to weapons and ammunition, the arsenal of criminals has become more modern and powerful, according to a survey by the Sou da Paz Institute released on Thursday (27/10). Between 2017 and 2022, the share of rifles among the weapons seized jumped 50% in São Paulo and 16% in Rio de Janeiro.
The proportion of pistols, also authorized for civilians by the goverment, increased by 31% in São Paulo and 32% in Rio. These are places of origin of factions with national and international expression.
For experts, the changes in the law resulted not only in an easier access to weapons for civilians, but in a rapid change in the profile of the arsenal in the hands of these criminals. The most common practice is to use people with no criminal records for a legal purchase, then pass on to factions. Another recent form of diversion is theft from carriers, during the weapon’s journey from the factory to the store.