President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the Brazilian government is studying a new strategy to recover stolen mobile phones through post office returns.
The initiative aims to reduce the incentive for mobile phone theft by simplifying the return process. By bypassing the need for victims or finders to visit police stations, the government hopes to recover a significant number of devices and curb the illegal trade of stolen hardware.
Under the proposed plan, the federal government will send messages directly to devices identified as products of crime. These messages will instruct the current possessor of the phone to return the device to a Correios branch [1]. This move is designed to create a more accessible pathway for the recovery of property without the bureaucratic hurdles often associated with law enforcement agencies.
Lula said the government has information regarding approximately 2.5 million stolen phones across the country [1]. He said, "Vamos enviar mensagens para os aparelhos identificados como produto de crime, orientando a devolução nos Correios" [1].
The strategy is part of the national phase of the Celular Seguro program. A federal government spokesperson said the program seeks to integrate various police forces and stop the irregular commerce of mobile devices [2]. The effort focuses on creating a unified system to track and recover stolen assets nationwide.
By utilizing the extensive network of Correios locations, the government intends to make the return of stolen property a routine administrative task rather than a legal ordeal. This approach targets the secondary market where stolen phones are often resold, potentially lowering the street value of stolen devices if the risk of recovery increases.
“The government has information about approximately 2.5 million stolen phones in the country.”
This policy represents a shift toward 'administrative recovery' of stolen goods, attempting to disrupt the economic incentive of theft by lowering the barrier for returning items. If successful, utilizing the postal service as a neutral intermediary could increase the volume of recovered property compared to traditional police-led recovery methods, though its effectiveness depends on the willingness of current possessors to comply with the messages.
