INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITY IN COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME IN AMAZONAS: PERCEPTIONS OF CIVIL POLICE OFFICERS

Abstract

The advance of transnational organized crime in Amazonas imposes severe challenges on public safety, demanding more sophisticated state strategies. In this context, the study is guided by the following question: to what extent can intelligence activity intervene in combating transnational organized crime? The research is justified by the urgency of transforming dispersed police data into strategic knowledge. The general objective is to present the structure of Brazilian intelligence and that of the State of Amazonas, as well as the possibilities for its use in confronting criminal organizations. The specific objectives include investigating the specific functions of each intelligence activity; analyzing the relationship between theory and practice in the performance of these activities; and identifying aspects of organized crime that can be neutralized through intelligence activity. Methodologically, a mixed, descriptive, and exploratory approach was adopted, using questionnaires and interviews with 20 civil police officers, in addition to document analysis. The results indicate that although intelligence is recognized by agents as essential, its operational effectiveness is limited by the scarcity of technological resources and the low level of integration among agencies. Therefore, intelligence activity is the determining factor for shifting from a reactive policing model to a proactive one, making investment in technology and integrated management indispensable for effectively dismantling criminal networks.