CIUDAD DEL ESTE (Locals, Newsroom) On April 12, it was learned, through digital media, that a vehicle had been stolen in Foz de iguazu and they handled information that they would make him cross into Paraguay through the Friendship Bridge, later at the head of the bridge Customs officials together with personnel from the Paraguayan Navy stopped the vehicle that met the characteristics of the vehicle stolen on the Brazilian side. Later that same medium shared with the public the capture of a message via WhatsApp from the alleged owner of the Toyota car where he said that it was indeed his vehicle with the thief inside that had been detained by Paraguayan customs but that despite the fact that the thief they had already transferred him, they did not return his car, he also said in that same message that the customs officials were apparently asking for money in exchange for freeing his car, to this capture was added the statement on Facebook by prosecutor Edgar Torales who said that in the afternoon the owner of the vehicle showed up with all the documents but that the Customs officials refused to hand over the vehicle despite the fact that he, as Prosecutor, had already released it.
Unfortunately, the ignorance of the Prosecutor Edgar Torales towards the customs laws and his comments together with the publication of the CDE Portal media led to arouse in the public a repudiation of the Customs officials, who in reality are only fulfilling their duty and to clarify this situation the General Director of Customs Julio Fernández Frutos issued a statement in this regard explaining the procedure that must be followed in these cases and why the vehicle has not yet been returned to the owner of Brazilian nationality.
According to Law 846/96 of the Customs Code and Regulatory Decrees for the process, it establishes the following: “APPROVING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL FOR THE RESTITUTION OF STOLEN OR STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLES”
Once the vehicle is received, the summary is prepared, the consulate is notified, the owner is notified, and the procedure for its delivery has a period of 20 days. And it summons the owner for three days to present documents that prove the ownership for its delivery.
Thus, the Toyota brand vehicle, Model XEI20, white in color, year 2022 with license plate SEK1E01, seized on Wednesday, was sent to the customs facility to carry out the corresponding administrative procedures based on resolution 260/2023, WHICH CONFIRMS THE CUSTOMS AUTHORITY OF EXERCISE CONTROLS.
We regret the statements of Prosecutor Edgar Torales and the confusion caused to the alleged owner of the vehicle and especially to the public who expressed their disagreement and repudiated customs officials without having complete information on the procedure.