Police seize 11 million smuggled cigarettes

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


Fiscal Control Police in Alajuela seized 11 million cigarettes that a man surnamed Alvarez-Cambronero had inside a semi-trailer on his property in the province of Alajuela.

According to the police report, an anonymous call informed them about a semi-trailer that was inside a property in the community of Villa Bonita*.

Officers found the semi-trailer, which belonged to Álvarez-Cambronero, where it contained several boxes of imported cigarettes.

According to police, the cargo was a total of 11 million imported cigarettes, branded Filter Kings Capital.

The suspect did not have the documentation to prove the payment of taxes for the purchase of cigarettes. So, the police proceeded to seize the semi-trailer containing the product.

"The cigarettes were delivered to Customs where they registered the amount of unpaid taxes, and after that, the product was destroyed," said the police in its report.

According to Irving Malespin, police director, the officials of the Ministry of Finance, seize products to fight against smuggling and tax evasion.

On August 18th, As A.M. Costa Rica previously reported, Border Police officers from the Sixaola* delegation in the province of Limón reported the confiscation of 1,602 cans of beer and other alleged contraband, which was hidden in a minibus.

According to the police report, during a routine patrolling in the town of Bratsi near the border with Panama, the officers ordered to stop a driver who was traveling in a minibus.

Officers decided to review the vehicle because they noticed that "the backend of the car was sagging and it was going at low speed," said the police in its report.

Officers found the beer cans inside the minibus. The owner of the minivan nor his driver, a man, surnamed Pitty, had no invoice or document showing payment for the purchase of liquor.

The beer was confiscated and delivered to the Fiscal Control Police. The suspect was not arrested, but an accusation was opened against him for alleged tax evasion.

On July 26th, Border Police officers arrested a man surnamed Nuñez, in the community of Guaycará in Golfito*, in the province of Puntarenas, as a suspect of smuggling merchandise and resistance to authority.

According to the police report, during a routine patrol, the police encountered three cars that did not obey their order to stop. The three drivers made a dangerous maneuver to turn into the opposite lane and escape from the police, said police in a report. However, officers managed to detain the suspects, thereby "frustrating a large liquor smuggling operation," said the police in its report.

In the review of the three cars, the police found 12 boxes of Cuban rum cans, 10 cases of beer, and several bottles of vodka, rum, and whiskey.

The merchandise was seized and handed over to the Fiscal Police.

Of the three drivers, only Núñez was arrested for putting up resistance to the search of his car, police said.

According to the police report, arrests of drivers transporting contraband merchandise are frequent in the Golfito area, because the merchandise is smuggled to the country from Panama.

Ministry authorities call on the public to report any suspicion of the sale or storage of smuggled products. For these purposes has enabled line (506) 2539-6800.


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Have you heard smuggled goods available for sale in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com

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