The largest seizures by the National Customs Directorate of the Uruguayan country were of cell phones, vehicles and clothing.
Between January and June 2024, more than 4,500 customs inspections were carried out at different border posts and US$21 million worth of non-compliant merchandise was detected.
The National Customs Directorate (DNA) carried out practically the same number of actions in the first part of this year as in the same period of 2023, but a sharp increase in the amounts of seizures was nevertheless verified.
Between January and June of last year, 4,558 customs operations were carried out with confiscated merchandise (not taking into account drugs) worth $289.3 million, equivalent to US$7.3 million. The largest amount in value corresponded to the detection of vehicles worth $74.9 million (US$1.8 million). In this case, 305 automobile units were seized.
The second largest category was clothing with $54 million (US$1.3 million), followed by cosmetics and cleaning products with $19.8 million (US$478,245) and household items with $16.2 million (US$391,292).
Despite having a lower incidence in pesos, the largest number of units detected was food with more than 12 thousand units. Next were cosmetics and cleaning products with 10 thousand.
In the first half of this year, seizures amounted to $842.4 million, equivalent to US$21 million. In the year-on-year comparison, contraband detections increased by 187%.
The largest seizure of that period was made in May and was worth $294.6 million (US$7.5 million). It was carried out by the South Mobile Surveillance Department in Montevideo. Two vans were stopped in the area and a significant amount of foreign merchandise was found without documentation proving legal entry into the country.
There, they managed to seize the latest generation of mobile phones. In total, there were 8,201 original cell phones of various brands, 185 accessories and a gearbox for a car.
In the rest of the semester there were also detections of vehicles worth $175 million (US$4.2 million) and 470 units. In second place was clothing with $56.2 million (US$1.3 million) and 7,450 items of clothing. Next were cosmetics and cleaning products with $28.5 million (US$688,383) and 6,570 units.
Contraband of food, household items, drinks, spare parts, medicines, proteins and sports supplements, footwear and jewelry items were also seized.
Customs controls at border crossings are carried out in Aceguá, Artigas, Carmelo, Chuy, Colonia, Fray Bentos, Nueva Palmira, Paysandú, Río Branco, Rivera, Salto and the airports of Punta del Este and Montevideo.
CIGARETTE SEIZURES
Two major cigarette seizures have been carried out in recent months. In July, several raids were carried out in Rivera, Montevideo, Canelones and San José. Two million cigarettes were seized there, with an approximate value of US$ 1.2 million.
The second one took place in September, also in Rivera, with the seizure of cigarettes arriving from Paraguay. In this case, the estimated value was $24 million (approximately US$ 585 thousand).
