Customs inspectors, Army and Carabineros officials carried out a successful intervention in favor of border security in the towns of Pisiga Centro and Pisiga Choque, in the commune of Colchane (border with Bolivia). The work falls within the powers granted by Decree 78/2023 and allowed the seizure of four trucks and more than USD 100 thousand dollars in contraband goods.
El Regional Director (s) of the Iquique Customs, Ricardo Aceituno Chau, highlighted the joint operation that even detected a Chilean truck operating with a cloned Bolivian license plate. “The intervention allowed us to seize a Chilean truck that left the Free Trade Zone illegally in 2021 and was used to transport contraband,” he explained. The director valued “the feeling of security that these operations provide to residents of border areas.”
Aceituno Chau recalled that the security reports prepared by the Undersecretary of the Interior show an increase in crime rates in border areas, which is why Decree 78 is based, which allows the Army to act in border areas through a Force that in the Tarapacá region is commanded by Brigadier General Ramón Oyarzún Gatica. “And we as Customs have joined this work from our responsibilities to confront smuggling,” he added.
The joint operation allowed the seizure of 4 trucks, 674 bales of used clothing, 50 awnings, 600 solid hard drives, 564 down jackets, 16 HP computers and 15 Iphone 13 cell phones, among other merchandise.
Finally, the Regional Director pointed out that the operations will continue and He urged the community to report the actions of smugglers, since they damage fair trade, evade taxes, affect the fluidity of the logistics chain and also integrate networks linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. “Drugs, weapons, cigarettes and human trafficking require the knowledge and logistical support of smugglers or chuteros, as they are known in the Andean region, therefore, we are facing high-risk behavior,” he stressed.
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.
