Brazil

Law enforcement services in Brazil are provided by a combination of federal and state bodies:

• The Federal Police;
• The Federal Highway Police;
• The Federal Railway Police;
• The State Military Police and Fire Brigade;
• The State Civil Police.

The Federal Police is part of the Ministry of Justice. Its mandate includes:

• Preventing, identifying and investigating crime;
• Fighting international drug trafficking and terrorism;
• Providing border control and immigration services.

INTERPOL Brasilia

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Brazil is part of the International Criminal Police General Coordination Unit which deals with all international police and legal enquiries involving the Federal Police.

Mandate:

• Work with INTERPOL member countries in the interest of international police cooperation;
• Issue INTERPOL notices;
• Coordinate international police operations;
• Locate and capture international fugitives;
• Coordinate extraditions;
• Administer the secure INTERPOL police communications network across the country.

INTERPOL Brasilia is made up of almost 40 full-time staff and 50 additional officers appointed to the 27 regional offices across the country.  Staff are civil servants, commissioners, forensic experts, police officers, court clerks, fingerprint experts or administrative workers, each selected competitively for a specific NCB responsibility.

Boosting national security

INTERPOL Brasilia has worked hard to ensure that officers at all immigration check points in Brazil have direct access to INTERPOL's databases. Using technology known as MIND, frontline police can swiftly check if a passport presented to immigration is recorded as stolen in INTERPOL'S databases. 

In addition, Brazilian embassies around the world also have access to INTERPOL databases, which are consulted each time a visa application is made.

In Brazil, it is obligatory for judicial authorities to send all national arrest warrants for suspected fugitives directly to INTERPOL Brasilia for the immediate publication of a Red Notice.