No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeContrabandPolice seize 4 million contraband cigarettes

Police seize 4 million contraband cigarettes

A joint operation of several police units last Sunday led to the seizure of 200,000 packs of cigarettes that entered the country without paying taxes through the Caribbean port of Limón.

Officials from the Fiscal Police, the Department of Intelligence and Security and the National Police found the illegal shipment during a routine inspection of containers that arrived Sunday afternoon in a cargo ship that docked in Limón.

Fiscal Police estimated the shipment totals four million cigarettes and is valued at $600,000. The cigarettes were past their expiration date of Feb. 12, 2014.

Preliminary reports by the Public Security Ministry noted the container departed from Honduras, made a stop in Houston, Texas, and then arrived in Costa Rica.

“There were no people detained during the operation and currently we are working to identify everyone linked to this shipment,”  Public Security Vice Minister Gustavo Mata Vega said.

This is the second largest shipment of contraband smokes discovered this year following a May stop by Fiscal Police of a semitrailer transporting 12 million cigarettes at Paso Canoas, on the border with Panama.

Last year, Fiscal Police confiscated more than 21 million illegal cigarettes.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Identified as Key Maritime Route for Cocaine Trafficking

Costa Rica appears among the main maritime and aerial routes for cocaine trafficking between South and North America, according to the World Drug Report 2025 published...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Prisma Dental in Costa Rica Keeps Customers Happy and Smiling

I am 81 years old and have had teeth removed, bridges, and cavities fixed several times to sustain my ability to eat and function....
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica