This statement was made during a meeting on the subject—specifically focused on developing border intelligence—which began in the capital as part of Uruguay’s pro tempore presidency of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

Fabricio Facundo, Director of the Information System at the Uruguayan Ministry of the Interior, noted that Sisme is marking its 10th anniversary as an international cooperation IT tool designed to streamline data exchange and combat transnational organized crime, general delinquency, and drug trafficking in the region.

It operates via communications centralized at a hub located at the Mercosur headquarters (the meeting venue) in Montevideo, connecting to national nodes in each member country.

Facundo told the press that five million queries regarding individuals have been conducted through the platform.

Additionally, there have been over four million queries regarding weapons and more than one million regarding vehicles, all of which facilitates the work of police forces across Mercosur member states.

Responding to a question from Prensa Latina, he mentioned that efforts are underway to encourage the participation of the South American bloc’s Associate States, thereby broadening the scope of information available to security agencies and forces.

He noted that information can be retrieved “in real time—within milliseconds—securely and precisely.”

The data aids in the apprehension of individuals and the seizure of vehicles and weapons, making the system a vital instrument for border control, he emphasized.

The Interior Ministry official acknowledged the support Sisme has received over the past two years from the European Union and expressed hope that the Montevideo meeting would contribute to the implementation of joint border control strategies.

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