From: inteligencialtda
The Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) is responsible for customs control in Brazil, overseeing the entry and exit of people, goods, and assets at various borders [01:12:47], including airports, ports, and land borders [03:39:09]. This role is distinct from most other countries where customs control is handled by a separate agency [01:22:42]. The institution’s objective is not to hinder travel but to protect society, ensuring fair competition for businesses that operate legally [03:11:11].
Scope of Work and Key Personnel
Agents of the Federal Revenue Service work in various capacities, including:
- Airport customs, such as Guarulhos and Galeão airports [00:48:02].
- Port surveillance and repression [00:35:19].
- Border control, particularly active in areas like the Triple Frontier near Foz do Iguaçu [03:52:12].
These roles involve combating illicit activities such as drug trafficking, smuggling, and currency evasion [00:37:06].
Anderson Leme is an agent from São Paulo working at Guarulhos airport, with almost 24 years of experience in the Federal Revenue Service, primarily in the customs area [00:47:06]. Paulo Angelito works in the surveillance and repression division of the Seventh Tax Region, covering airports, ports, and borders [00:35:05]. Both are instructors and collaborate closely [01:06:07].
Recruitment and Career Opportunities
The Federal Revenue Service offers stable and rewarding careers in the public sector [00:46:16]. Public tenders are a democratic way to access various positions [00:37:48]. Salaries are generally competitive, with initial salaries for analysts around R20,000-R$22,000, with potential for additional pay for night shifts or hazardous border work [00:57:48].
The career path offers significant diversity; agents can work in company inspection, taxation, process analysis, or active repression against trafficking [01:09:51]. The IRS hires individuals from all academic backgrounds, including psychology, medicine, dentistry, engineering, and performing arts, emphasizing that dedication and study are key to success [00:58:53]. The agency also offers mobility, allowing agents to change activities or even cities within the service [01:43:09].
Customs Control Operations
Drug Trafficking
Brazil serves as an important hub for drug trafficking, particularly for cocaine originating from Andean countries [01:36:58]. Brazil also receives synthetic drugs, primarily from Europe and Mexico, and increasingly from Africa and China [01:51:52].
Drug mules use commercial flights, often for quick, small-quantity deliveries to Europe [01:42:06]. Methods of concealment are varied and constantly evolving, including:
- Swallowing capsules: Often done by individuals who are unaware of their final destination or the risks involved [02:54:19]. This method is extremely dangerous due to the high purity and quantity of the ingested drugs [03:10:49].
- Tied to the body: Cocaine is commonly strapped to legs, shins, or the belly and tightly bandaged [02:39:55].
- Disguised in products: Drugs are hidden in items like chocolate powders, ginger, wall putty, mango pits, or even liquid form inside beer cans or infused into clothing [02:11:52].
- Synthetic drugs: Often concealed in everyday items like books or presented as common substances [02:48:47].
Smuggling
Smuggling involves bringing merchandise into the country without following correct procedures, often to circumvent taxes [02:35:35]. Examples include:
- Auto parts: Individuals bringing in large quantities of imported car parts [02:28:50].
- Cigarettes: High taxation on cigarettes in Brazil makes them a profitable smuggling item [02:41:59].
- Exotic animals: Often smuggled in suitcases, sometimes mistreated and with high mortality rates [01:50:24]. The smuggling of blue macaw eggs, a national symbol, highlights the severe impact on fauna [01:49:15].
- Food and seeds: Regulated by Vigilagro and Ibama to prevent the introduction of harmful microorganisms or pests that could devastate Brazil’s agro-economy [01:52:09].
Detection Methods
The Federal Revenue Service uses advanced techniques for detection:
- Risk management and data analysis: Agents analyze passenger data before arrival, identifying suspicious profiles based on various criteria [02:44:56]. Brazil’s enormous IRS database allows for extensive data crossing, including with artificial intelligence [01:13:19].
- Interviews: Agents conduct interviews with suspicious passengers, looking for inconsistencies in their stories, lack of travel details, or nervous behavior [02:25:24].
- K9 Units: Dogs are trained to detect odors of various substances (drugs, explosives, money) and are used to “shave” flights, inspecting all passengers and luggage. They are rewarded with play, not drug exposure [02:14:26].
- X-rays and scanners: Used for luggage and cargo, with advanced container scanners in ports [03:45:00].
- Facial recognition: Integrated into the system since the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, aiding in the identification of wanted individuals [01:10:59].
Challenges and Realities
The work involves long hours, including shifts on holidays [03:32:00]. The job is described as a “cat and mouse” game, where criminals constantly evolve their smuggling techniques and prevention and concealment methods, requiring agents to stay vigilant and adaptable [02:41:56]. The danger is often highest during transit or off-airport operations, where agents face risks from armed criminals [03:59:02].
Agents experience a unique professional motivation from working for Brazilian society, as opposed to a private company focused on profit [00:50:50]. The adrenaline of the job can be addictive, with agents waking up early for operations [03:26:26].
Inter-agency Cooperation
The Federal Revenue Service actively collaborates with other law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, Army, Air Force, and Navy, to maximize resources and effectiveness [02:42:37]. They also work with specialized agencies like Vigilagro and Ibama for specific controls like food and animal smuggling [01:52:09].
Customs Regulations and Traveler Information
Travelers must be aware of customs regulations:
- Quotas: The duty-free allowance for goods brought into Brazil is USD 500 by land and USD 1,000 by air or sea. This quota renews every 30 days [02:22:42].
- Free Shop: Goods purchased at duty-free shops on arrival have a separate exemption limit from the general travel quota [03:44:09].
- Declarations: All goods exceeding the quota, or those intended for commercial use, must be declared. Failure to declare results in taxes and fines [01:55:01]. The IRS encourages declarations via an app for faster processing [01:17:42].
- Personal Use: Items like wedding dresses are exempt if acquired for a necessary event during the trip [02:18:41]. However, bringing multiple items of the same type or for resale is considered commercial and subject to different rules [02:19:41].
- Crew Members: Airline crew members do not have a duty-free quota and are subject to monitoring and inspection for smuggling [02:43:03].
Ethos and Professionalism
IRS agents undergo rigorous training, including advanced weaponry courses that focus not just on shooting proficiency but also on critical decision-making for when not to use a weapon [04:13:55]. They represent the Brazilian State, and their actions reflect on the country, emphasizing the importance of respectful and professional conduct [04:40:48]. The IRS invests significantly in equipment, vehicles, and training, fostering trust and responsibility among agents [04:00:01].
Impact and Public Perception
The “Restricted Area” TV series significantly changed public perception of the Federal Revenue Service and public sector jobs [03:07:05]. It showcased the dynamic and impactful nature of the work, dispelling old stereotypes of public servants as idle [03:08:00]. The show’s popularity led to increased interest in IRS public tenders, with many new recruits specifically seeking customs and surveillance roles [03:03:09]. Agents often receive positive feedback from the public, including children inspired to join the career [03:06:17].
“Our activity like many others that we have out there takes away a lot of the stigma of the Public Servant of that image that society has of who is the public servant is the guy who is sitting there with a lot of paper is not coffee cigarette stick behind and there rolling stamping paper is not this image does not come from the time to leave to Exactly That’s the image people had, right? in the past Ah the civil servant is the guy lying there leaning against the wall is winning of him and doesn’t want to know anything, right? when we end up showing this eh mainly there in the series and everything else is the series The Series I think was cool because of that why did you take that stigma and showed one thing Of course for you it’s not an adventure it’s not a exciting thing but there is that’s what I was going to say there is emotion, right? Quite a lot, isn’t it?” [03:06:06]
Notable Cases and Anecdotes
Agents recount numerous unique cases:
- Switched luggage: A method used by traffickers where an airport employee swaps baggage tags, sending an innocent passenger’s bag filled with drugs [02:50:00]. Brazilian travelers were arrested in Germany due to such a scheme [02:49:09].
- Cocaine in wall putty: In the Port of Itaguaí, agents seized 5 tons of cocaine hidden in wall putty buckets, a monumental task to inspect [01:41:51].
- Blue macaw eggs: An oriental passenger was caught with 60 blue macaw eggs hidden in a thermal backpack, intending to smuggle them out of the country [01:47:00]. 44 chicks successfully hatched after the eggs were transferred to the University of São Paulo [01:49:15].
- Forged documents: Travelers attempt to avoid taxes by presenting fake invoices for expensive items like bicycles or wine [02:05:31].
- “Inadmissibles”: Passengers denied entry to other countries are often checked upon their return to Brazil, as they may have been transporting drugs [02:10:51].
- Exotic animals: Smuggling snakes in socks or iguanas in suitcases is also common [02:50:57].
- Human Trafficking: While primarily a Federal Police domain, IRS agents occasionally identify cases, such as girls traveling from Colombia to Europe via Brazil with multiple hidden passports [02:20:57].
- COVID-19 Impact: During the pandemic, international flights were sparse, but those operating saw a higher proportion of drug mules trying to take advantage of reduced scrutiny [01:56:59].
- Justification of items: Passengers create elaborate, sometimes bizarre, stories to explain undeclared items, such as claiming high-value camera equipment was for a deceased relative’s memorial [03:31:00].
- Medical emergencies/Antics: Passengers attempting to feign illness or even self-harm to evade inspection [01:18:33].
- False complaints: Anonymous calls to the police or IRS falsely reporting a traveler carrying weapons can disrupt operations and mobilize resources [03:02:10].
- Smuggled human remains: Cases have been reported globally of individuals attempting to transport human remains in suitcases [02:57:37].
- Larva-filled fish: Undeterred by decomposition, some individuals attempt to smuggle fish that are visibly infested with larvae [02:59:50].