A joint operation by the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

• The drug was traveling hidden in the structure of a container from South America that contained fruit
• The method used to try to introduce the drug has been known as 'lost hook' or 'rip off'

June 12, 2023.- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and the Civil Guard have seized a cache of 117 kilos of cocaine in the port of Valencia. The drug was hidden in the structure of a container from South America that contained fruit.

The operation was carried out in mid-May, when the agents managed to detect the alteration of the metal structure of a container. After the checks, it was possible to verify the manipulation and concealment of 117 kilos of cocaine inside. The container's load consisted of fruit from South America, of legal origin.

The drug was introduced through the 'lost hook' or 'rip off' system, which consists of using shipments of merchandise from legal import companies while criminals introduce the drug, either inside the container, or in its structure at the port. of origin without exporters or importers knowing. Subsequently, they access the substance trying to hide the manipulation of the container to avoid customs controls. In this way, they try to benefit from the usual flow of legal international import/export goods.

The members of the Risk Analysis Unit (UAR) of the Valencia Customs, made up of officials from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and components of the Fiscal Protection of the Civil Guard, constantly work to detect this type of behavior and discover to their authors.