A criminal organization dedicated to smuggling goods from Asia was dismantled after an extensive investigation led by the Attorney General’s Office and the National Police.
The illegal structure used the port of Buenaventura, in Valle del Cauca, as the main entry point for shipments of textiles, clothing and other products that entered the country evading customs controls.
According to the authorities, the smuggling operated through a complex network of contacts and logistical maneuvers that allowed the merchandise to be removed from the port without raising suspicions.
To achieve this, the members of the organization would have resorted to paying bribes to public officials, in order to facilitate the transit of the products from Buenaventura to different cities in the country.
Once port controls had been passed, the merchandise was transported in tractor-trailers to Bogotá, where several front companies were in charge of its storage, distribution and marketing.
Subsequently, the products were sent both wholesale and retail to different regions, including cities such as Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Bucaramanga and Cúcuta, as well as strategic border municipalities for rapid sale.
During the investigative process, the Prosecutor’s Office managed to intercept key communications between alleged members of the network, in which they discussed the unloading of the shipments without being detected by the authorities. Thanks to these intelligence efforts, multiple arrests were made that allowed the seizure of at least seven shipments of illegal merchandise.
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According to official calculations, the customs value of the seized products would exceed $8.5 billion pesos, while the amount related to money laundering operations would be above $68 billion pesos, figures that show the magnitude of the illegal business.
The operations took place simultaneously in Bogotá and Cali, resulting in the capture of eight people. Among those detained are citizens of Chinese and Colombian nationality, who fulfilled different roles within the structure, from import logistics to final marketing.
The investigation originated from information collected in 2022, when authorities detected irregular financial and commercial movements related to foreign citizens in the country’s capital.
Those captured were presented before a guarantee control judge, where they were charged with crimes such as conspiracy to commit a crime, promoting smuggling, illicit enrichment and money laundering. None accepted the charges.
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