MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Medusa operation” busts corruption ring in Montevideo port

A corruption network which operated in the port of Montevideo has seen three more Customs officials and a businessman sent to jail. The four and possibly others, because it's an ongoing investigation, are linked to the fish export industry.

The Customs officials were on the payroll of local fish exporters and basically their job was to approve all shipments regardless of the documentation. The jailed businessman was sentenced for contraband. His phones had been tapped for months by the undercover "Operation Medusa", led by a woman magistrate and Montevideo Police Intelligence Unit. Several other businessmen linked to the industry have been summoned to court and are under investigation. One of the Customs officials was also linked to Free trade zones controls and at one time was head of the Customs Office of the Port of Montevideo. "Operation Medusa" came to light last December when it busted an organization that rerouted containers from the port of Montevideo to Paraguay. Some containers were also emptied and filled with sand before shipping and the merchandise sold locally in street markets. Following the discovery of the organization last February several businessmen and Customs officials were jailed, Mansions in seaside resorts and expensive cars belonging to the culprits were seized on judicial instructions. Apparently they were purchased by the organization to help launder funds. Investigators are also trying to establish a link with a similar corruption organization operating in Uruguay's main airport Carrasco. Customs officials were paid by Customs brokers not to check shipments. Customs officials called them "tips", Customs brokers "incentives" to speed the paperwork and dispatch of air shipments. The head of Uruguay's Customs who at the time was in London for a conference was ousted from the post and 26 Customs brokers sentenced.