Uruguay: Man convicted for illegal sale of European medicines at Carrasco Airport

Authorities in Uruguay have convicted a Uruguayan citizen for his involvement in the illegal importation and sale of medicines originating from Europe. The operation, detected at Carrasco International Airport, also resulted in the confiscation of hundreds of injectable syringes and substantial sums of cash in both U.S. dollars and Uruguayan pesos.

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The maneuver consisted of bringing various medicines from Europe into the country through Carrasco International Airport to then be commercialized irregularly in Uruguay.

The case was handled by prosecutor Sandra Fleitas and her assistants, Verónica García and Romina Cabrera. On May 21, the court found the man guilty of receiving stolen goods, compounded by repeatedly offering commercial substances or selling them without authorization. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, a sentence that was commuted to a probation period.

His probation terms include maintaining a fixed address, reporting regularly to the local police station, a prohibition on leaving the country, and nightly house arrest. He is also required to perform community service. The scheme involved bringing various medications from Europe into Uruguay via Carrasco Airport for subsequent illicit sale within the country.

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As a result of these procedures, 365 injectable syringes were seized, in addition to US$ 74,900 and $ 167,500.

Initial detection of this operation was made by personnel from the National Police's Airport and Port Surveillance Directorate. Recognizing the potential for an international operation, the case was escalated to the Special Crimes Investigation Department of the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime and Interpol. This collaboration led to a joint investigation involving surveillance at ports and airports, identification of individuals transporting medications, and searches. The investigation also revealed similar operations in Brazil, where authorities recently prosecuted Brazilian citizens involved in comparable activities.

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Brazilian Federal Police, along with judicial authorities in that country, detected operations of a similar nature and about a month ago managed to prosecute Brazilian citizens linked to maneuvers of the same nature.