NEYMAR LEADS WAY IN BRAZIL'S CRIME CRACKDOWN

ABOVE: Brazil and Barcelona star Neymar

Hopefully, Brazil's huge investment in security will pay off when fans arrive for next summer's football showpiece.

9th June 2013

By Paul Hetherington

BRAZIL has launched a massive security operation ahead of next year's World Cup.

A zero-tolerance policy is now in place, similar to the stance adopted in South Africa - another country with a culture of crime - three years ago.

Brazil is in the spotlight like never before, with the World Cup followed by the Olympics two years later.

And the Pope also visits the country next month, creating another security headache.

The dummy run is this month's Confederations Cup, with Brazil's Ministry of Defence sending 25,000 troops to patrol its borders.

Brazil's safety plan is known as Operation Agata 7, with the government allocating £300million to the security budget.

The focus is on cross-border crimes, including drugs and weapon transportation, smuggling and illegal immigration.

Brazil's boundaries are difficult to police, as it borders ten South American countries, with unpatrolled rainforests.

unpatrolled rainforests.

That has provided easy access for drug dealers and ruthless career criminals.

Incredibly, Brazil's security for the World Cup is being beefed up with fighter planes, unmanned Israeli-produced drone patrol aircraft and helicopters.

In Rio, the city's police In Rio, the city's police department have established a permanent presence in the favelas - the hillside slums - to improve security for local residents and tourists visiting the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado mountain.

There is concern about terrorist attacks as well as Rio's traditional problems related to drugs and crime.

The policy of the country was illustrated before England's match in Rio last Sunday, when Brazil stars like Neymar who has just signed for Barcelona - and Chelsea's David Luiz - paraded a banner condemning drug use and violence.

Having just returned from that match in the Maracana Stadium, I found Rio safer than on my visit 13 years ago.

But while I was there, there were still two muggings involving knives - within 50 yards of the England media hotel on the Avenue Atlantica opposite the Copacabana beach.

Hopefully, Brazil's huge investment in security will pay off when fans arrive for next summer's football showpiece.