Saturday May 6, 2023 | 4:00 p.m.
Specialized agents from the General Directorate of Customs-AFIP stationed at the Gualeguaychú – Fray Bentos International Border Crossing discovered, during a baggage control, that a Uruguayan citizen was trying to leave Argentina with 6 liters of pig semen hidden in a suitcase.
The unusual discovery occurred when a Volkswagen Saveiro van with Uruguayan registration appeared at the Integrated Control Area of the General San Martín International Bridge to leave the country.
The Customs guard asked the driver of the vehicle, a Uruguayan citizen, if he had anything to declare, to which he replied in the negative. When proceeding to control the luggage, the customs inspector opened a suitcase that, at first glance, seemed to contain clothes. However, the suitcase had a lining, generally used to store shoes: when touching it, the Customs inspector felt something strange.
At that moment, he noticed that the tourist got nervous and asked him what he had there. Immediately, the man confessed that it contained pig semen: indeed, when they emptied the contents of the suitcase, they found 60 sachets, each one with 100 ml of the aforementioned substance, totaling 6 liters.
Thus, within the framework of article 979 of the Customs Code, the guard proceeded to seize the merchandise, which is not admitted by the baggage regime. Precisely, the export of animal reproductive material requires the presentation of the International Veterinary Certificate (CVI), issued by SENASA.
Likewise, it is estimated that the value of the infringing merchandise is around $100,000, for which, in any case, it was in excess of the excess of US$300 contemplated for land shipments. In addition, it is presumed that the man residing in Montevideo had irregularly acquired the porcine semen, since he could not show the proper invoice for the purchase. According to what he stated, he is a pig farmer, which would explain his interest in the merchandise in question.
