Base Candiru seized about one and a half tons of drugs in Óbidos since its creation, a year ago

The second Integrated Riverine Base of Public Security "Candiru" has completed one year of operation and stands out for its ostensive and preventive action in the Óbidos region, in Lower Amazon. During this period, security forces have already conducted more than 75,000 approaches and seized about 1.5 tons of drugs hidden in vessels navigating the Amazon River. The riverine base began its activities on September 13, 2024, in the strait of Óbidos, and has been working to combat crime in the region through continuous inspection actions and monitoring of vessels coming from other municipalities in Pará and also from states like Amazonas and Amapá.

The Riverine Base meets the security strategies adopted for the river regions, as the State has the largest extent of navigation traffic in the country, making it attractive for the transport of illegal cargo from other states, as pointed out by the head of the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense, Ualame Machado.

“The Candiru base meets a need not only of the local population but, above all, is part of a well-planned public security strategy aimed at the rivers of the state, especially for this region, which is one of the main smuggling and drug trafficking routes in Pará. All drug transport coming via the Amazon River, at some point, passes through this point, and we are precisely at the 'throat' of the Amazon, at the narrowest part, where any vessel can be stopped and inspected. This is an old demand, a riverine strategy that already works very well in Marajó, where we operate with the first Riverine Base, and now with this second base, covering this additional region of our extensive river network,” said Ualame Machado.

Seizures and arrests

In one year, the Candiru Base, in addition to seizing 1.5 tons of drugs, has also seized 770 kg of illegal fish. The integrated security agents, condemned by the Riverine Public Security Group, GFLu, linked to Segup, have already executed 42 warrants and made 48 arrests in flagrant. The teams also seized twelve firearms and 243 cell phones. Twelve vehicles were also recovered, totaling 75,086 approaches to people and 957 vessels inspected. The data presented corresponds to the period from September 2024 to August 2025.

The director of the Riverine Security Group, Colonel José Vilhena, highlights the actions of the agents and the integrated work carried out daily in the Amazon River region. “We rely on the continuous work of our agents who act to ensure that the vessels crossing this region can be monitored and inspected. We also count on the presence of sniffer dogs, which are often essential for us to identify cargo transported illegally, such as drugs and fish. We also work with staff from environmental agencies and the Federal Revenue, which are essential for us to also curb smuggling in this locality,” said the colonel.

Integration and effectiveness

The Integrated Riverine Base Candiru brings together the State's Public Security agencies, as well as environmental and customs inspection agencies, both at the state and municipal levels, and also the Federal Police.

The Candiru base, like the first Riverine Base, “Antônio Lemos,” installed in Marajó, operates with actions directly aimed at the riverine region of the State, which has as one of its main objectives to benefit the riverside population in these localities and ensure greater safety in the navigation of vessels, combating the actions of criminal groups that use the Pará river routes, as well as combating environmental crimes.

Strategy and recognition
In view of the successful strategy of using Riverine Bases as a way to ensure greater security in the rivers, covering the main corridors used by crime for the flow of illegal cargo, such as drugs and smuggling, which cross the river network of Pará towards bordering countries, the construction of the third Riverine Base, named “Baixo Tocantins,” which will be installed in the municipality of Abaetetuba, is being finalized to further strengthen river security activities aimed at dismantling organized crime.

“At this moment, we are finalizing the construction of the third Riverine Base of the State, which will operate with our teams in the region of Abaetetuba and Barcarena, closing a successful river strategy presented by our State and recognized by other federations in the country. I also emphasize that we have always considered, in the formulation of security strategies, the specificity of Pará regarding its extensive river corridor, which are known as our streets, and understanding that this is also a path used by organized crime, and thus acting very strongly in its dismantling to inhibit and curb crime in the Pará territory,” analyzed the Secretary of Security, Ualame Machado.