Twenty packages with 15 kilos 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 5 kilos 400 grams of cocaine paste were intercepted by inspection teams of the National Customs Service at the El Loa outpost, 157 kilometers south of Iquique (tax border between the free zone and the rest of the country). The drugs were destined for Santiago and were hidden inside a van specially modified for concealing and transporting illicit merchandise.
The detainees presented themselves at the El Loa outpost to control their exit from the Antofagasta Region under the pretext of a tourist trip.
After that, Customs officials carried out an inspection of the vehicle and detected certain irregularities, so an intervention was carried out that allowed them to find a false bottom where the drugs were located.
In total, 15 packages with hydrochloride and 5 with base paste were found, which led to theThe owner of the vehicle expressed his surprise and indicated that he had been deceived because he was supposedly transporting contraband cigarettes.
The suspects, along with the drugs and evidence, were handed over to the police on duty via chain of custody. The arrest was carried out in Courtroom B of the Iquique Guarantee Court and the prosecutor Jocelyn Pacheco presented the facts and formalized the investigation against the two defendants for the crime of drug trafficking in the degree of perpetrators and completed execution. The magistrate Ricardo Leyton declared the arrest legal and set the precautionary measure of 120 days of imprisonment in the Alto Hospicio prison.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
