Authorities seize large quantities of smuggled Paraguayan cigarettes

Law enforcement agencies in Uruguay and Brazil have intercepted significant shipments of smuggled Paraguayan cigarettes in separate incidents.

In Paysandú, Uruguay, highway police intercepted a vehicle on Route 3 near kilometer 359. Officers discovered 4,979 cartons of Paraguayan cigarettes visible within the vehicle. The estimated commercial value of the merchandise is 1,095,380 pesos, while the total value including the vehicle reaches 1,475,380 pesos. Two individuals, a 55-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman with no prior criminal records, were taken to a local detachment. The case has been referred to the Prosecutor's Office for investigation.

In Iporã, Brazil, State Highway Police (PRE) seized approximately 1,000 packages of Paraguayan cigarettes after a high-speed chase on the PRC-272. The driver of a silver GM Vectra ignored orders to stop, driving against traffic before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing into a wooded area. The driver remains at large. The vehicle and the contraband have been seized and transferred to the Federal Revenue Service in Guaíra.