In a joint operation aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks, agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and state prosecutors seized a cache of 880 sheets of suspected cocaine, cleverly concealed within the lids of dozens of cardboard boxes, during a raid in the La Rinconada sector of Santiago.
Acting on intelligence reports, agents and prosecutors executed a search warrant at an apartment at the Leslie Marie Tower. They were searching for several individuals believed to be part of a network involved in the storage and sale of narcotics.
Upon entering the residence armed with search warrant number 2024-AJ0029787, no one was found on the premises. Authorities then proceeded to inspect a van, license plate I-093101, linked to apartment 4-B in the same building.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 262 unassembled boxes, each with a double bottom. Hidden within these structures were a total of 880 sheets of suspected cocaine, weighing approximately 230 kilograms.
“The brown sheets, wrapped in adhesive tape, were concealed in a double bottom created within the box lids. This is another tactic employed by international drug traffickers to evade the controls implemented by official agencies at airports and ports nationwide,” authorities stated.
Authorities are actively pursuing David Alfredo Montan Tavarez (El Compa) and another unidentified individual believed to be involved in the case. Both men have been urged to turn themselves in to face the charges against them.
Three other individuals are being questioned in connection with the case, as investigations continue to determine their level of involvement in the thwarted drug trafficking operation.
This international drug trafficking ring operates in the northern region of the country. Its modus operandi involves contaminating boxes of agricultural products with narcotics, specifically cocaine, for shipment to the United States and Europe.
The seized sheets of the substance have been sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) in Santiago for analysis to determine the exact type and weight.
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DNCD
14 November 2024