According to information from the Observatory for the Registration and Control of Apprehensions (ORCA), so far this year, decisive action has been achieved in the fight against smuggling through the apprehension of more than 96,000 packs of cigarettes, 41,000 bottles of liquor and nearly 71,000 beers.
During the control visits by the authorities, 133 commercial establishments have been closed for allowing the sale of cigarettes and illegal liquors. The National Federation of Departments, in conjunction with the Anti-Smuggling Program, assures that these premises “were putting consumers' health at risk and being permissive to criminal networks that use smuggling to commit other related crimes, such as drug trafficking and money laundering.”
One of the most recent was carried out on roads in the department of Quindío. The control, inspection and surveillance operations were aimed at cargo vehicles, parcels, liquor carriers, interdepartmental transport and so on. The authorities were carried out in the company of agents of the National Police and the Tax and Customs Police, POLFA.
The leader of the Anti-Smuggling Program and Deputy Director of Agreements and Agreements of the National Federation of Departments (FND), Michelle Figueroa Pachón, said:
He also added that it has been identified that 20% of alcoholic beverages retained are adulterated, so public health is alerted to the risks of ingesting these products. “illegal sale occurs to a greater extent in non-commercial establishments. On the other hand, 48% of illegal beers were seized in vehicles and 43% were seized in commercial establishments.”
It should be noted that various training sessions have been carried out to municipal and departmental entities, in order to continue the fight against smuggling, which have been reflected in campaigns aimed at citizens. For example: In Barranquilla, the police launched one with the name “Waver to the Legal”, with this the authorities seek to teach tourists and locals to identify liquor and cigarettes that are smuggled and thus avoid falling into deception.
The actions are ahead of the official start of the Barranquilla carnival, on March 26, Major Mauricio Mejía said on Blu Radio that: “Through cell phones there are applications where you can check whether (liquors or cigarettes) is legal or illegal.”
The anti-smuggling program of the National Federation of Departments reiterates that:
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