Prefecture seized merchandise worth twenty thousand dollars after a smuggling operation in Salto

By Agustin Miller

Prefecture detects million-dollar illegal entry maneuver through the river

In an intervention that underlines the constant surveillance at border crossings, the staff of the Prefecture of the port of Salto managed to disrupt an important operation of smuggling in Salto. The seizure, which took place in the last few hours, revealed a commercial value of more than ,000 in various merchandise. The incident occurred in the area of ​​Las Cavas beach, a few kilometers from the city center, a geographical point that has historically been sensitive for the crossing of packages from the neighboring shore.

The procedure was triggered during the early hours of December 24, while the departmental capital was preparing for the Christmas celebrations. A river patrol of the National Navy, which was traveling along the Uruguay River aboard a support boat, sighted a boat in a suspicious attitude. Upon noticing the presence of the official boat, the vessel with registration Argentina began a rapid flight towards neighboring territory, leaving behind a cargo hidden among the vegetation of the Uruguayan shore.

Finding of Argentine merchandise on Las Cavas beach

After the sighting, the troops carried out a land search in the vicinity of Las Cavas beach. There, among the weeds and taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they found several packages containing a wide variety of items. This modality of smuggling in Salto It consists of “cooling” the merchandise in blind spots on the coast so that it is later removed by local accomplices for distribution in the domestic market.

Among what was seized, foodstuffs, cleaning supplies and various mass consumption products stand out, which usually enter irregularly due to the exchange difference with Argentina. The National Customs Directorate carried out the official weighing and assessment, estimating that the blow to smuggling in Salto exceeds 860,000 Uruguayan pesos. This is a significant volume of cargo that shows organized logistics behind the river crossing.

Tax investigation to identify those responsible

The Departmental Prosecutor's Office of Salto has already taken action on the matter and is working in coordination with the National Naval Prefecture. The main objective of the investigators is to find the identity of the authors of the maneuver, both those who operated the boat and the receivers on land. This case of smuggling in Salto There are no detainees so far, but the collection of evidence at the site of the discovery could provide key clues about the marketing network involved.

Patrolling on the Uruguay River has been intensified in recent months due to the increase in illegal entry attempts. Naval authorities stressed that the use of surveillance technology and knowledge of the terrain are essential to stop the smuggling in Salto. The Las Cavas area, located about 3 kilometers from the urban center, is still closely monitored to prevent illicit trafficking corridors from consolidating on the coastal coast.

Impact of the exchange rate difference on the Uruguayan coast

The phenomenon of the entry of Argentine products is not new, but the magnitude of this seizure highlights the professionalization of the gangs dedicated to the crossing of merchandise. He smuggling in Salto It directly affects local commerce, which must compete with prices that, in many cases, are less than half of the sales values ​​in Uruguay. The merchants from the northern part of the country have repeatedly expressed their concern about the damage that these practices generate in revenue collection and formal employment.

From the Prefecture it was reported that this type of operations will continue throughout the summer season, period where movement on the beaches can be used as a screen for criminal activities. Coordination between the Uruguayan and Argentine security forces is another point in which progress is sought to dismantle these gangs that operate on both banks of the Uruguay River. For now, the shipment remains in judicial custody awaiting of its final destination.

Is it possible to eradicate these river crossing maneuvers while the price gap with the neighboring country continues to encourage the risk of local smugglers?