Hundreds of tons of fruits and seasonal vegetables are entering Costa Rica from Panama through the so called “ant smuggling”.These products come without sanitary permits, without paying taxes, cheaper and with diseases and they are sold in markets, stores and by hawkers.
This is denounced by Randall Benavides Rivera, president of the Chamber of Exporters and Importers of Perishable Products of Costa Rica.
According to the chamber, cars are used to drive to Panama, get full of these products in homes or garages and return to Costa Rica. The products are cheaper since they do not pay the entrance and sale taxes.
The chamber calculates an illegal income of approximately 70 containers valued at ₡ 1,500 million between apples and grapes. The amount of garlic is not calculated, whereas in avocados, it is estimated that up to 200 illegal tons were entered in 2016.
The Tax Control Police ignores the number of fruits that enter the country illegally because the complaints do not reflect the data indicated by the Chambers, but it is implementing a plan to try to stop this type of contraband.