In boxes of fruit and vegetables. A total of 1000 pieces were hidden in this way.and 129.610 packets of contraband cigarettes which were detected and seized by inspectors of the National Customs Service in the advance of Quillagua, in the northern Chile.
El Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva, pointed out that “during this weekend Our control teams intercepted two trucks where fruit and vegetable boxes were used as a concealment method. These actions made it possible to avoid the evasion of more than $319 million in taxes".
Truck intercepted in Quillagua. Photo: Chilean Customs
The first case The incident was discovered when a Chilean transporter arrived at the customs control and stated that he was traveling from Arica to Santiago with 28 thousand kilos of pumpkin, tomato, onion, ginger and cucumber. However, upon checking the cargo, more than 300 boxes were detected that contained cartons of cigarettes of foreign origin. In total, XNUMX boxes were found 99.740 cigarette packs of the Carnival and Gif brands, which entered the country illegally and were intended to be marketed in the central part of the country.
Later, under the same modus operandi, another truck from Arica was intercepted with 39 boxes of vegetables specially adapted to hide a total of 12.500 cigarette packs of the Korean brand Carnival. The truck driver was a 52-year-old Chilean citizen, who in April of this year was also intercepted with a similar contraband.
Boxes of fruits and vegetables. Photo: Chilean Customs
Molina Silva highlighted the oversight work for its tax impact and the effects it generates in favor of community security and legal trade. “Behind these contrabands there is a logistics associated with organized crime and we all know the damage that illegal activities cause to society.”
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