SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- Officials of the Customs Cuban police at Havana’s José Martí International Airport told the official press on Friday that the methods used to hide drugs and introduce them into the country are “diverse and sophisticated,” amid a worrying increase in the consumption and sale of narcotics on Cuban streets.
According to the official Cubadebateso far in 2024, customs authorities have recorded 20 cases of drug introduction at the Havana airport.
Jorge Luis Bubaire Quintana, head of the aerodrome customs, argued that the “complexity” in the operations due to the constant changes in the modes of operation of “international crime”: “Every day it is becoming more complex at the border with a direct effect on national security.”
In this regard, he referred to the fact that modus operandi and the forms of concealment are increasingly “more diverse and sophisticated,” and this, according to his words, implies a challenge for customs agents, who must discover the narcotics.
Cocaine, marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids are the most frequently detected at the airport, and the packages come mainly from the United States, he explained.
One of the ways to pass the drugs is through “mules,” to whom they give “packages and luggage” to distribute them throughout the country, said regime officials.
In cases where these substances are detected in luggage, the traveler is not exempt from liability, including criminal liability, they said.
This news comes after the MININT reported that “a few weeks ago” they carried out an operation against the synthetic drug known as “elquímico” and arrested 22 citizens linked to its distribution.
The statements also come shortly after customs agents launched a pursuit of another “crime”: “currency tradingwhich has gained a lot of strength.”
For this reason, surveillance at the country’s international airports has reportedly been “intensified.”
An alleged rise in violations involving the outflow of cash has prompted a stricter response at the borders. “Our priority is a secure border,” said another official.
The first deputy head of Customs explained that the main problem is the “increase in illegal currency trafficking that they try to extract in a hidden manner,” violating the regulations of the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC).
