Operation Tala: Customs officials seize 629,000 contraband cigarettes valued at $U 10 million
Uruguay's customs authority and Brazilian police dismantled a cigarette smuggling network in a binational operation. Two people detained and merchandise valued at $U 10,000,000 seized.
Joint operation between Uruguay and Brazil dismantles cigarette smuggling network
The National Customs Authority, according to aduanas.gub.uy, executed a major binational operation with the Brazilian Police that resulted in the seizure of 629,000 cigarettes valued at approximately $U 10,000,000 and the detention of two people.
The operation, named "Tala", was coordinated by the Customs Response and Intelligence Group (GRIA) and the Southern Regional Division (DVS) of the National Customs Authority, with support from the Organised Crime Suppression Unit (DRACO) of Bagé and teams from Operation Borders and Border Protectors on the Brazilian side.
The central objective was to intercept a van attempting to introduce contraband cigarette cargo into Uruguayan territory. The operation was deployed in the morning of the announcement day, when specialised teams from both countries were simultaneously distributed across national routes.
After more than a month of intelligence and surveillance work, Uruguayan agents detained an adult man with a criminal record who was transporting 469,000 units of GIFT brand cigarettes in a van along national routes.
Simultaneously, Brazilian officials conducted a raid on a rural property located in the border area with Uruguay, identified as a suspected base for storage and distribution of the illicit merchandise. A Uruguayan citizen identified as responsible for the property was detained at the site. In that operation, a van, 160,000 units of GIFT brand cigarettes and 19 boxes of agrochemicals destined for illegal sale in Brazil were also seized.
The National Customs Authority described the result as a significant blow to border smuggling and reaffirmed the institution's commitment to international cooperation in the fight against organised crime.
Source: Google News UY — Crime