They were intended for sale during the holidays: Chilean Customs intercepts more than 150 kilos of cocaine in Quillagua
The substances were hidden in a false bottom of a truck. The shipment, distributed in 142 packages, was destined for the central region of the country.
More than 150 kilos of drugs were detected by Iquique Customs officials in two inspection procedures carried out recently at the Quillagua Border Complex, which were being transported hidden in a specially conditioned false bottom in a truck.
The detection occurred after the vehicle was selected through the risk management mechanisms used by the Service and subjected to the Iquique Customs truck scanner. The image obtained by the non-invasive technology equipment allowed the identification of an anomaly in the cab area, which led officials to focus their inspection on the vehicle’s structure.
The inspection revealed a false bottom with metal structures specially designed to conceal the drugs, and a total of 142 packages were found. Of these, 76 contained a substance that tested positive for cocaine base, with a gross weight of 79.6 kilos, while another 66 packages contained cocaine hydrochloride, with a gross weight of 70.6 kilos.
According to the background of the procedure, the shipment was destined for the central area of the country, where it would be sold during the upcoming National Holidays celebrations.
In this way, the procedure allowed the removal of 150.2 kilos of cocaine from circulation, in one of the largest volume discoveries made recently by Iquique Customs officials at this control point.
The Regional Director of Customs in Iquique, Ricardo Aceituno, highlighted the result and the specialized work carried out by the officials.
“This is a highly significant operation, not only because of the more than 150 kilos of cocaine we managed to seize, but also because of the way this shipment was hidden. The use of specially adapted structures demonstrates that criminal organizations are constantly changing their concealment methods, and Customs is responding to this with risk management, technology, and highly specialized personnel.”
The official added that “the scanner truck was crucial in generating the alert that allowed us to focus our efforts and discover this hidden compartment. This result demonstrates that technology, when combined with the experience and expertise of our officers, can detect shipments attempting to evade controls and move to other parts of the country.”
Following the detection, the corresponding field tests were carried out, which confirmed positive results for cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride. The background information, the seized drugs, and the items associated with the procedure were handed over to the Carabineros (Chilean National Police), in accordance with the instructions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
14 kilos of ketamine in second operation
This result is in addition to another procedure carried out in the last few hours at the Quillagua Border Complex, where Iquique Customs officials detected 14 kilos of ketamine hidden in the body of a private vehicle.
In this case, the car’s passage through the scanner truck allowed the identification of an anomaly that was subsequently confirmed through physical inspection.
In this way, both procedures made it possible to detect more than 164 kilos of drugs at the Quillagua Border Complex, demonstrating the contribution of non-invasive technology and risk management mechanisms used by Customs to focus its controls and detect different methods of concealment.
