Corumbá, MS, 6/24/2003 (Agencia Brasil - ABr) - Federal and state governments are adopting severe measures to protect the country and fight organized crime, especially drug tafficking. "Among these measures, we will begin a new operation along the border with Bolivia and Paraguay, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Brazil has been successful in this type of operation in the past; for example, Operation Cobra, along the border between Brazil and Columbia. What we do is combine the forces of the Federal Police, state police and the Army. This is a difficult problem because our borders are immense," says minister of Justice, Marcio Thomaz Bastos, who is in Mato Grosso do Sul, a state known as a corridor for drugs from both Bolivia and Paraguay.

In another step in the fight against crime and drugs, today the Federal Police began incinerating some 101 tons of drugs apprehended over the last 11 months. According to minister Bastos, "The Federal Police will be the hub of our attack on organized crime. We have increased our Federal Police force by 70%. They will work jointly with state police forces. We are building federal prisons and are training federal prison guards."

Bastos also reports that he has ordered a detailed study on arms control so that he can present president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with a report in 15 days. That report will be used in drawing up proposals for legislation on the matter. (AB)