In boxes of vegetables and surrounded by tomatoes and squash. This is how 251 kilos of marijuana and 55 kilos of cocaine hydrochloride were hidden in a truck from Arica. The drug has a value on the illicit market that exceeds $2.426 billion pesos (USD 2,7 million) and was detected using non-invasive technology from the National Customs Service at the Quillagua outpost, located in Iquique, in the far north of Chile.
El Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva, explained that during the controls carried out on the loads and vehicles at the outpost, "a truck that was going from Arica to Santiago with vegetables was selected based on risk profiles to be subjected to an inspection with X-ray technology. In this way, it was determined that the load was concealing elements that did not correspond to what was declared in the manifest."
After the above, the driver was instructed to open his load and inside there were boxes of vegetables and in the middle there were tomatoes and pumpkins. 414 packages were seized containing 251 kilos 515 grams of marijuana and 55 packages with a total of 58 kilos 440 grams of high purity cocaine hydrochloride.
Once the illegal shipment was detected, the situation was reported to the prosecutor on duty and instructions were given to hand over the driver, along with the drugs and evidence, for transfer and safekeeping to the police on duty.
The arrest was carried out at the Pozo Almonte Court and prosecutor Daniela Campusano charged the Chilean truck driver AMB with drug trafficking. Judge Nicolás Uson decreed the arrest legal and set the precautionary measure of preventive detention for the 120 days established as the investigation period.
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