A million-dollar drug smuggling operation was detected by the Chilean National Customs Service after inspecting an intercity bus at the El Loa checkpoint, located in the Tarapacá Region, on the route connecting Iquique with the rest of the country.
The operation took place this Sunday (April 12, 2026) when a scanner truck inspected a Norte Azul bus traveling with 29 passengers from Iquique to Santiago. The technology allowed authorities to identify illicit substances hidden in the driver's cabin.
In total, the following were seized 48 kilos 300 grams of cocaine base paste and 4 kilos 550 grams of ketamine, distributed in 44 packages. The drug type was confirmed using the Trunarc particle analyzer.
In this context, The Regional Director (s) of the Iquique Customs Office, Ricardo Aceituno, He highlighted the operation and specified that more than 10 buses have been seized in the last year, confirming a growing trend of concealment. He also warned about the recurrence of these maneuvers at checkpoints such as El Loa, Quillagua, and Colchane, where hidden compartments and inspections of these types of vehicles have been detected.
In this regard, he stated: “This is a particularly serious situation, as it involves means of transport with passengers, who are completely unaware of these events and whose journeys are affected.”
According to estimates, the seized cargo could have reached a value close to $ 700 millones in the illicit market.
Regarding those involved, the bus driver, a Chilean national, stated that he did not know the origin of the drugs. Meanwhile, the assistant, a Bolivian national, indicated that he received the vehicle in Alto Hospicio and was supposed to deliver it to an unknown person in Santiago.
Both crew members were turned over to the justice system along with the seized drugs, under chain of custody. The detention hearing was held at the Iquique Guarantee Court, where prosecutor Camila Albarracín formally charged the defendants with drug trafficking. The assistant was remanded in custody pending further investigation.
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