According to the agency, the seizure of these items at the country’s main seaports represented a 22 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when seizures of illegal products reached approximately $24 million at the current exchange rate.
According to Luis Eduardo Llinás, the acting director general of the DIAN, this year’s figure reflects the inter-institutional work carried out with the public-private sector and regulatory entities to combat smuggling, protect consumers, and strengthen legal trade in Colombia. The official also estimated that they aim to reduce the incidence of this crime by half next year.
During the period analyzed, the cities with the highest incidence of smuggling seizures were Valle del Cauca (southwest), Cartagena (north), and Medellín (northwest).
In terms of economic sectors, the most significant impact was on textiles and their manufactures; machinery, appliances, and electrical equipment and parts; and footwear.
The DIAN attributed the increased effectiveness in detecting illicit activities at ports to the implementation of the Regional Anti-Smuggling Strategy, launched in coordination with the private sector and other state entities.
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