Weapons Traffickers Target Chile's Port of Iquique
ARMS TRAFFICKING
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6 AUG 2021 BY ASHLEY PECHINSKI
EN
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After a seizure of disassembled guns found in vehicles shipped from the United States to Chile, a prosecutor warned that the South American country – not typically a hub for illegal firearms – had seen an uptick in weapons trafficking through its northern port.
The seizure occurred at Chile's port of Iquique, where customs officials uncovered 30 dismantled AM-15 rifles in vehicles exported from the United States. X-ray scans revealed the rifle parts scattered within false bottom compartments, according to a July 31 news release by the Attorney General's Office.
According to media outlet Bio Bio Chile, the vehicles were shipped from New York, then passed through Panama before reaching the Iquique port.
It was the second seizure of weapons hidden in vehicles from the United States. Earlier in July, agents at Paraguay's San José Port Authority discovered five disassembled AK-47s and a 9millimeter pistol in a Nissan truck. The shipping container with the illicit weapons had passed through Iquique before being discovered by Paraguayan law enforcement.
Julio Fernández, head of San José Port Authority, said that authorities knew the identity of the arms trafficker and were working to make arrests and seize as many illegal weapons as possible.
As a part of the investigation, Paraguay notified Chile of the trafficker's modus operandi and use of the Iquique port. This tip led to the seizure of the rifles by customs authorities.
InSight Crime Analysis
Though US weapons generally enter South American countries hidden in other cargo, this ring showed a level of sophistication by concealing the rifles within the bodywork of vehicles -- a tactic only available to seasoned smugglers.
More:
https://insightcrime.org/news/smuggled-weapons-cause-concern-chile/
