Argentina customs destroy over 700 million pesos of illegal alcohol shipments

Argentina’s customs and revenue agency (Arca) carried out a large‑scale operation in the northern provinces of Misiones and Formosa, seizing more than 55 000 cans and bottles of imported beer, whisky, vodka and other spirits that had entered the country illegally. The confiscated merchandise, valued at over 700 million Argentine pesos (about half a million US dollars), was traced to pallets dispatched from border towns such as Puerto Iguazú and Bernardo de Irigoyé​n and distributed to centers in Misiones, Corrientes, Chaco and Formosa before being sold on the domestic market.

The seizure included roughly 45 700 cans of international beer brands – Heineken, Sol, Brahma and Pilsen – and about 11 500 bottles of premium spirits like Johnnie Walker, Jäger‑Meister and Absolut, the latter alone accounting for almost 574 million pesos in value. Following the operation, criminal complaints were filed for suspected smuggling and the entire consignment was destroyed on health‑risk grounds, as the illegal channel prevented verification of product safety and traceability.