Alessandra Bastos
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Costa Marques (Rondônia) – According to minister of Justice, Márcio Thomaz Bastos, after Brazil approved a law allowing authorities to shot down suspect aircraft, drug traffickers have changed tactics and are now doing their business by land and river.

On Friday (March 17), Bastos participated in the inauguration of the first of nine new border posts that will operate along Brazil's 3,400 kilometer border with Bolivia. "These border posts are a fundamental part of an effort we began in 2003 to control our borders. We intend to mark presence with all the countries we have borders with. Now we are engaged in Operation Brabo (Brazil-Bolivia)," explained the minister.

Bastos said that in dealing with narcotraffic brute force was not enough. "Narcotraffic is a serious problem that we have to confront with strength and efficiency. We have to be organized and have good intelligence. In the last three years the Federal Police have been able to successfully attack narcotraffic in 70 different operations because we are efficient," he declared.

The minister explained that the border posts will deal with various illegal activities, mostly drugs, lumbering and fishing.

Translation: Allen Bennett