Chile: Customs detects cigarette smuggling in onion truck

Two trailers loaded with sacks of onionsIt was the concealment mechanism that a truck driver tried to use to transport 165.940 packets of contraband cigarettes from Arica to Santiago, in Chile. The crime was detected by inspectors from the National Customs Service and tax evasion of more than $450 million pesos was avoided.

El Regional Director (s) of the Iquique Customs, James Alarcón Contreras, reported that the case was recorded at the Quillagua outpost when a truck driver arrived at the customs complex, located 233 kilometers southeast of Iquique, and said he was transporting two trailers full of onions. “After being notified that he would be subjected to an inspection, his vehicle broke down and he was unable to approach the inspection platform, so the inspection had to be carried out under the extreme conditions of the desert and the contraband was detected.", Alarcon added.

 

This is how it was discovered that under the bags of onions there was a total 165.940 cartons of cigarettes of the brands Pine, Fox and Carnival, which were in their boxes and even inside fruit and vegetable drawers.

Alarcón Contreras added that the smuggling was intended to evade taxes for more than $450 million pesos and “The truck driver will be charged with the crime of smuggling, given that he maliciously concealed the load The goods were imported into Chile illegally and are also subject to special taxation. For this reason, the truck was also seized because it was used in the illegal activity."

This type of merchandise, Alarcón added, “In addition to causing tax damage to the State and being unfair competition to established trade, they put people's health at risk because they are products whose origin is unknown and lack any health authorization.".

The carrier and all those involved in this smuggling risk million-dollar fines and prison sentences.