BOLIVIA SMUGGLING – Vehicle smuggling undermining Bolivian, Chilean economies

Vehicle smuggling is a long-standing problem that affects the economies of both Bolivia and Chile, the latter of which is the port of entry for cars and trucks that continue their journeys via illegal routes into Bolivian territory, some of them coming from overseas and others stolen in northern Chile.

Between January and July of this year 1,687 undocumented vehicles valued at some $35.5 million were seized in Bolivia, most of them in the Andean Oruro region (515) and in La Paz (494), according to a tally provided to EFE by the National Customs Office.