A million-dollar blow to cigarette smuggling was carried out by inspectors of the National Customs Service at the El Loa and Quillagua outposts in northern Chile, after intercepting two trucks with a total of 512.430 packs. With these procedures There are already six cases with similar characteristics in recent times. "and this demonstrates the operability and efficiency of our controls despite the limitations in equipment due to the Covid 19 health contingency."said the Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva.
The director highlighted the high institutional and official commitment to maintaining the operational and security of the logistics chain.We are in all the controls exercising the mission of supervision and facilitation, This allows us to fulfill our public service vocation and prevent dangerous or contraband goods from entering the markets.”.
Molina Silva added that the last two cases correspond to one registered in Quillagua, where a truck driver from Arica arrived loaded with 29 thousand kilos of peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, ginger and lemons.However, Thanks to risk profiles and observation techniques, it was established that there were 2.582 cartons of cigarettes under the boxes of vegetables. of the Carnival brand, in addition to 294 cartons of the Pine brand and 111 of the Gift brand, adding up to a total of 29.870 cartons that tried to avoid taxes for more than $94 million pesos.".
Seized cigarettes. Photo: Chilean Customs
Meanwhile, in the advance El Loa The truck of a Iquique transporter who arrived at the checkpoint claiming that he was transporting coal and mineral water was intercepted. However, A total of 482.430 cigarette packs were hidden behind this cargo. smuggling of Carnival Blu, Fox, This, Austin, Paladium, Vicuña, Bluemont, Jaisalmaer, Jalmahal brands.
In this last case, the tax evasion was estimated at $1.369.842.811. The two drivers had their vehicles seized and were charged with the crime of smuggling, for which they risk prison sentences and million-dollar fines ranging from one to five times the value of the cargo.
The six trucks intervened since the beginning of the health emergency add up to a total of 1.370.980 packs, which in practical terms means having avoided a tax evasion of US$4,6 million dollars. "In the same way, in addition to the tax effects, we are preventing goods from reaching the market whose components and origins are unknown, since everything indicates that they were brought in through irregular crossings and stored for later transport to the center and south of the country." Molina concluded.
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