The Federal Police database accounts for around 1.3 million weapons with expired registration from the citizens in possession of these artifacts. Revolvers, shotguns, and pistols are the most common models and correspond to 88% of the irregular arsenal.
The records show 703,000 revolvers, 456,000 shotguns, and 213,000 pistols with expired documentation. There are also rifles, carbine rifles, garruchas, small pistols, and shotguns on the list, among others.
Weapons purchased by citizens with authorization by the Federal Police are listed in a database called Sinarm (National Weapons System). The vast majority of people only have the registration for possession, since the possession is restricted to certain categories. The records are valid for 10 years.
Sinarm data even indicate weapons that, in theory, could not be accessible to ordinary citizens via the Federal Police. There are, for example, 53 rifles in the system with an expired registration in the hands of civilians.
When sought out, the Federal Police did not respond to inquiries made by Folha.
According to specialists, the number of irregular weapons is high and reveals a serious problem, as it signals the loss of control by the Federal Police over the whereabouts of the artifacts. A registration may not be renewed due to the owner's forgetfulness, but it may also indicate that the weapon was stolen and diverted to criminal activities.
"When the registration is not renewed, the Federal Police loses the ability to say where the weapon actually is. It means that it has left the Brazilian state's control radar. This is extremely serious", says Ivan Marques, a lawyer and member of the Brazilian Forum on Public Security.
Translated by Cassy Dias