:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/SQSOG2OWB5FINLRF4T24H6VSTA.jpeg "Customs has created a new sector to deepen the control of drug trafficking in the waterway 1")
There General Directorate of Customs created a new surveillance sector for the coasts of the Uruguay River, to strengthen controls at regional transhipment points, where a concentration of cases of containers contaminated with cocaine has been detected.
In this context, the Director General of Customs, Michael Guillermohad a meeting at the customs headquarters with the federal judge of Concepción del Uruguay, Pablo Andres Sero; Federal Judge of Victoria, Federico Martin; the Federal Judge of Gualeguaychú, Hernan Viri; the federal judge of Concordia, Analia Ramponi and the Federal Prosecutor of Gualeguaychú, Pedro Rebollo.
“It will mean more presence, better intelligence, more dogs and more technology to fight the drug trade”
The invitation was formally addressed to the magistrates to inform them of the actions that Customs carries out in the field of the prevention of drug trafficking.
So the new The drug trafficking sector Uruguay Coast (Waterways Region) includes the customs jurisdictions of Gualeguaychú, Concepción del Uruguay, Colón and Concordia.
During the meeting, Michel announced: “We have created an area dedicated specifically to monitoring the coasts of the Uruguay River, based in Gualeguaychú, Design of Uruguay, Christopher Columbus and Concorde. It will mean more presence, better intelligence, more dogs and more technology to fight the drug trade.
In addition, the official spoke of the importance of collaboration between state agencies in this initiative. “We must work in coordination with the security forces, the Justice and him, generating a perception of risk and reacting quickly to very dynamic organizations,” he said.
Customs intelligence has verified that, in recent times, following the intensification of controls in Buenos Airesthe ports of neighboring countries have become the main regional transshipment points for cocaine-contaminated containers destined for Europe there Africa.
It should be noted that the drug of Paraguay arrive at Uruguay in three ways: via transhipment containers, light aircraft and ground freight vehicles. Thus, in recent months, four agents have found cocaine hidden in trucks trying to cross into the neighboring country.
The first case occurred on September 8 in Colon. On this occasion, 31.36 kilos of cocaine were seized in the driver’s cabin.
On November 18, in Concordia56.60 kilograms of cocaine were found in the axles of the semi-trailer, and 20 days later (December 8), at the same location, customs officers found 77.65 kilograms of cocaine in a double bottom on the floor of the semi-trailer of a truck.
The most recent case occurred on January 30, also at Concordia. On this occasion, the authorities detected 89.15 kilos of cocaine in the front sector of the semi-trailer.
Indeed, the drug could be detected because the Customs provided scanners to Columbus, Concord and Gualeguaychu.
Customs will try to “close” smugglers and detect larger cases of trafficking in the area
Given this scenario of attempts to concentrate cocaine in the port of Montevideothere General Directorate of Customs has three priority objectives with regard to the border crossings of the Uruguay River: search for efficiency, perception of risks and rapid response.
On this basis, the operational locations in the region are all border crossings: Gualeguaychú-Fray Bentos, Columbus-Paysandú, Concord-Jump; the ports on the Uruguay River (Conepción del Uruguay) and on the Parana River (Ibicuy) and export factories located in the area.
With these three simultaneous control fronts, Customs will try to “close” the smugglers and detect more cases of trafficking in the area.
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