A container full of counterfeit perfumes, sneakers and belts was intercepted by inspectors from the National Customs Service at the port of Iquique. The merchandise, valued at more than $1.200 billion (US$ 1 million), also included Chinese food, drinks and cigarettes that were destined for the Free Trade Zone.
The Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva, pointed out that the multimillion-dollar smuggling includes perfumes, sneakers and belts that emulate the designs and logos of different brands such as Dior, Nike and Dolce & Gabbana. “Thanks to intelligence work and documentary analysis, our inspectors selected a container that was en route to Iquique for inspection. Upon arriving at the port, it was immediately separated and subjected to an inspection with non-invasive technology, establishing that it was transporting undeclared goods.”
Based on the above and the powers of the National Customs Service, the inspectors opened the container and found that it was full of undeclared merchandise. and seized a total of 8.640 jars with perfumes which imitate the fragrances Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Gucci Guilty, Light Blue woman by Dolce Gabbana, Acqua de Gio and SI by Giorgio Armani, Jadore and Sauvage by Christian Dior, Invictus by Paco Rabanne, Bleu by Chanel, Black by Lacoste and Bombshell by Victoria Secret.
Customs officers also found 4.450 pairs of sneakers that emulate models Nike-Dior and Jordan, 16 thousand straps imitating designs from the brands Gucci, Lois Vuitton, Dior and Burberry. In turn, among the cargo were 2 thousand cell phones Samsung model GM-B312V, 50 cartons of Chinese cigarettes of the Chungwa brand, 153 bags of food of Chinese origin and 1.304 juices of oriental origin and without the respective authorizations from the Public Health Institute.
The container was supposedly carrying 34.500 glass cups and left from Shanghai bound for the Iquique Free Trade Zone.
Molina Silva explained that the merchandise was seized and the owners and consignees of the cargo were reported for smuggling, to which a complaint will be filed. “It is about products that were not declared and were also counterfeit, To which is added that in the case of the food and drinks lacked the approval of the health authority. We are facing a tax crime that seeks to evade taxes and that also endangers the community, given that perfumes are mixtures of solvents of unknown origin, just like food and drinks," he concluded.
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