Number 272, May 14, 1997.
SOCIAL ISSUES

Drug trafficking 'employs' 50 thousand in Sao Paulo.

A survey carried out by the drugs squad (DENARC) of the
civil police concluded that in the city of Sao Paulo alone, 50
thousand people work directly with drug trafficking according to
a report in the "Folha de Sao Paulo" on May 11. This total
includes not only the drug traffickers but all people connected
with this activity such as the people who deliver drugs, watch
outs and security personnel employed by the drug traffickers. The
number of people employed in drug sales and distribution
surpasses the number employed in the automobile industry in the
city approximately 40 thousand people.

Chief of police Godofredo Bittencourt Filho of the drugs
squad commented that his department has information that there
exists 5 thousand sales points for drugs in the city. He
calculates that on average each point 'employs' ten people. In
this manner the police arrived at the estimate that 50 thousand
people are involved in drug trafficking in the city. At least 80
large drug gangs with links to international trafficking are
supplying drugs to these sales points according to police chief
Bittencourt Filho. He believes that the number of people in Sao
Paulo involved in drug trafficking practically doubled during the
last five years in large part due to the arrival of crack on the
local market. 'Many people hooked on crack became involved with
drug traffickers in order to supply themselves with the drug.
This is a phenomonem associated with crack; other drugs take
longer to provoke dependancy'. Such people enter the drug
trafficking scene then in two ways. Either they work for the
traffickers as watchouts, in security and in delivery or they
feed their drug habits by the profit they make on the sale of
crack for larger traffickers. The average earnings of people in
both groups range from US $300 to US $1000 per month.

The police drug squad estimates that at least 150 thousand
people are regular users of crack in the city of Sao Paulo. The
sale of this drug alone is responsible for a monthly turnover of
approximately US $13.5 million in the city. If the sale value of
other drugs were included the monthly turnover would be
approximately US $27 million. The estimates of the drug squad are
accepted by the Center of Violence Studies of the University of
Sao Paulo (USP) which has been studying this question for the
last number of years.

An estimate of state police chief Helio Luz of Rio de
Janeiro calculates that approximately 20 thousand peopled are
involved in the city in drug trafficking. This number compares
with 10550 civil police in the city or the 30 thousand doctors in
the entire state. Police chief Luz bases his calculation on the
approximate number of shantytowns (favelas) in the city 700. He
believes that there is an average of 20 drug traffickers in each
favela a total of 14 thousand. The remaining 6 thousand are
people employed by drug traffickers such as the watchouts. In
this latter group are many children and adolescents. Mr. Luz was
unable to calculate how much money is involved in drug
trafficking in Rio 'Figures aren't available for the amount of
money circulated in the drug trafficking. There are many people
involved here ranging from arms contraband to the distribution of
drugs in the city'. The comments of a 17 year old youth now held
in a young offenders prison for the sale of drugs show why so
many people have become involved in the drug trafficking 'I
couldn't find work anywhere. I only completed the fifth year in
school. People criticise drug trafficking but I have earned money
with it'.


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