Costa Rica seized an illegal shipment of avocados from Panama
Costa Rica's Border Police seized a shipment of avocados that had been smuggled into the country from Panama.
The seizure took place last Thursday 12th May at the checkpoint, kilometer 35, of the district of Guaycara de Golfito, in the south of the country, according to a press release from the Ministry of Public Security.
According to the director of the Border Police, Allan Obando, a citizen informed the police unit that there was a suspicious vehicle coming from the border with Panama and heading towards Ciudad Neily.
The officers then tracked the vehicle and stopped it at a checkpoint to inspect it. The vehicle was driven by a Costa Rican named Jimenez and, upon inspection, the police found 20,000 avocados, valued at 6 million colones.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) ordered destroying the avocado because they didn't comply with the relevant phytosanitary standards.
There are containers with Mexican avocados crossing Costa Rica on route to Panama, where they are received in accordance with the law and pay applicable taxes; however, this product is also being smuggled into Costa Rica illegally.
Source: elmundo.cr