Candiru River Base Blocks Trafficking with Operations and Strengthens Security in the Rivers of Pará
About 330 vessels and more than 22,000 people were approached by the Base agents from January to April of this year
The frequent inspections of vessels passing through the Candiru River Base in Óbidos, in the Lower Amazon, ensure greater safety for the local population. Local resident, vendor Cláudio Costa, recognizes the importance of the work.
“The police are always on standby and inspect the ships, with approaches that provide confidence and safety for both passengers and workers and residents in the area. Since the establishment of the Base, seven months ago, our reality has improved,” said the resident.
The State Government strategically chose the location of the River Base, precisely where the main flow of vessels and routes in the waterway network occurs, which also attracts smuggling and drug trafficking.
“We know that every drug corridor on the Amazon River eventually passes through this point, and we installed the Base right at the 'throat' of the Amazon, at its narrowest part, where every vessel can be stopped and inspected. Since its installation, the actions have significantly contributed to the dismantling of criminal groups involved in the illegal drug trade, among other criminal practices,” assures Ualame Machado, head of the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense (Segup).
About 330 vessels and more than 22,000 people were approached from January to April 2025 by agents from the Candiru Base. Since the beginning of April, over 500 kg of drugs have been seized, which have already been examined. Additionally, 850 kg of shredded paper with impregnated cocaine has been seized and is under examination.
In one of the seizures on April 21, the police, with the help of the sniffer dog Isis, located 110 blocks of skunk, totaling 117.8 kg distributed in cardboard boxes inside two trailers. The individuals responsible for the vehicles were arrested in the act and taken, along with the seized material, for appropriate procedures with the Civil Police operating at the Base.
In the last major seizure, 165 kg of marijuana/skunk in blocks and 840 kg of shredded paper with impregnated cocaine were seized, which is still under examination.
Agents from the Candiru Base also participated in the seizure of two tons of drugs and the arrest of 10 men on a barge in the municipality of Santarém, following investigative work and diligence by the Civil Police.
The manager of the river base, Romulo Valente, points out that in addition to combating drug trafficking, all types of illicit activities, such as smuggling and contraband, are also targets of the actions. “We conduct inspections regarding animals, in the case of cattle, regarding wood, where there is also a significant fight against devastation and deforestation, and various other services that the Candiru river base develops.”
“We have already made seizures of materials without invoices, equipment, and even vehicles we have managed to seize. So we already have several numbers that can support the efficiency, effectiveness, and necessity of the Base,” evaluates Romulo Valente.
Calmness has become a constant in the region, observes resident Inácio Castro. “Everyone needs to applaud this initiative because, before, many crimes occurred here at night. People came to cause disorder, and this changed with the Candiru Base. Now it is calm. We can come here at night, and it is peaceful, safe, without robberies,” affirms Inácio.
