Four bottles of the dangerous anesthetic drug ketamine were intercepted by inspectors of the Chilean National Customs Service at the Quillagua outpost on the northern border. The illicit substance was being transported in liquid form from Arica to Antofagasta by an international traveler and has a value of more than $150 million (US$ 217.500) on the illicit market.
The Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva, highlighted that based on the constant feedback with the Subdirectorate of Inspection of the National Customs Directorate in in relation to risk profiles, “Our inspectors are alert to the various trends and methods of concealment for all types of contraband., whether of legally traded goods or of an illicit nature such as drugs and their chemical precursors".
Molina added that at the Quillagua outpost, an international traveler was profiled and when his luggage was checked, 4 bottles were found that appeared to contain water, but when they were subjected to a test, it was found that they contained a total of 10 kilos 440 grams of ketamine.This case adds to two other recent cases recorded in the northern zone where our Customs inspectors intercepted 5 kilos 201 grams at the El Loa outpost and 6 kilos 630 grams at the Chacalluta border complex.“, said the director.
Ketamine is a sedative for veterinary use in horses and is sold illegally for its strong anesthetic and hallucinogenic properties. It is very dangerous and can cause death.
The passenger, along with the drugs and the evidence, were handed over to the PDI through a chain of custody. The arrest was carried out at the Court of First Instance and Guarantee of Pozo Almonte and the prosecutor Sergio Almonacid charged the driver from Tacna with drug trafficking as the author. The magistrate Isabel Peña Cifuentes decreed the legal arrest and determined to leave the foreigner in preventive detention for the 120 days that she set as the investigation period.
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.
