After intelligence work, they arrived at the place where 14 boats, nine vehicles and 12 engines were located, loaded with cigarette boxes that were apparently ready to be taken to Brazil.
The fact was reported to the prosecutor Nilsa Torales, who arranged for the cargo to be transferred to the Canindeyú Naval Area Base.
FUSTER
Emilio Fuster, Minister of the Interinstitutional Unit for the Prevention, Combat and Repression of Smuggling (UIC), reported that Customs must instruct the pertinent summary.
“This is going to be submitted by Customs and by the Prosecutor’s Office for criminal prosecution in conjunction with the SET for the traceability of the product,” he said.
When asked about the guarantees that exist that the shipment will not be released again, as happened with the 20 million packs seized in February 2020, he replied that this capture occurred with the crime in fragrance, so the product will hardly be released. .
“It will hardly end up being returned, since it was caught in fragrance in the water trying to get the product to the Brazilian side,” he explained.
He finally said that he estimates that the value of the cargo plus the vessels is around US$ 1 million.
MORE DETAILS
The procedure is carried out jointly between the Paraguayan Navy and the Inter-institutional Unit for the Prevention, Combat and Repression of Smuggling (UIC). In addition to cigarettes, the operation also resulted in the seizure of electronic products.
In the morning hours, the same Paraguayan Navy reported that more boats were found with loads of cigarettes. In a second operation, some eight boats were located on the banks of the Paraná River in the “Tigre” port area.
BACKGROUND
On February 5, 2020, around 20 million cigarette packs that were stored to be smuggled, were seized by the UIC, through joint work with the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) and other institutions. The seizure occurred on the shores of Lake Itaipu, in the Camino Tres neighborhood area, in Salto del Guairá.
