More than 34 kilos of drugs were seized by officials from the Iquique Regional Customs Office during an inspection of a passenger bus in Quillagua. The operation uncovered 21.23 kilos of cocaine base and 13.69 kilos of ketamine, hidden in a compartment next to the stairs leading to the second floor of the vehicle.
The inspection took place on October 10th and was initiated based on a risk profile that led to the selection of a bus traveling from Iquique to Santiago. With the support of a mobile scanner, the Customs team detected a suspicious image corresponding to an organic substance hidden within the vehicle’s structure.
During interviews with the crew, the bus attendant admitted to owning the packages and stated that he had hidden them the previous night. He also indicated that he was to deliver them in Santiago in exchange for a sum of money.
The search yielded 31 packages in total: 19 wrapped in black tape, containing an ochre-colored substance, and another 12 wrapped in gray tape, containing a white powder. Field tests conducted with a particle analyzer yielded positive results for cocaine base and ketamine, respectively.
The Regional Director of Customs in Iquique, Ricardo Aceituno, highlighted the result of the operation and the importance of the controls carried out on the country’s connecting routes.
“Detecting more than 34 kilos of drugs hidden on a passenger bus underscores the importance of customs controls on routes used for the movement of goods and people. In this case, it involved two different substances being transported in a concealed manner, and thanks to the inspection carried out in Quillagua, they were able to be removed from circulation before reaching their destination.”
The case was referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The seized substances and the individuals involved were handed over to the Carabineros (Chilean National Police), in accordance with established protocols.
Other drug finds in Quillagua and Colchane
This operation adds to other findings recorded in recent weeks by teams from the Iquique Regional Customs at control points in the area.
Also in Quillagua, during an inspection of a bus traveling from Iquique to Santiago, 57 capsules containing ketamine were found hidden inside a pair of socks next to one of the seats. The substance weighed a total of 1.18 kilograms. During questioning, the passenger identified as the owner of the capsules admitted to having ingested another 20 capsules.
In another operation, this time at the Colchane Integrated Border Control, inspectors detected eight packages hidden under the seats of a bus traveling from Oruro, Bolivia, to Iquique. Field tests confirmed the presence of cocaine base, and the total weight of the substance reached 4.495 kilograms.