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Complaint Filed Over Alleged Smuggling Against Fishing Companies Operating in the Falklands with British Permits
The filing was entered in the Federal Economic Criminal Court. It also seeks to investigate possible omissions by Argentine officials in control and surveillance duties.
The Federal Economic Criminal Court received a criminal complaint for alleged smuggling against directors, administrators and representatives of international fishing companies that, according to the filing, operate in the South Atlantic with fishing licenses granted by British authorities in the Falkland Islands.
According to the complaint, those activities would involve the commercial exploitation of Argentine fishing resources in areas that the complainants consider part of the Continental Shelf and the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone, in addition to a possible impact on national customs control and natural resources.
Attorneys José Lucas Magioncalda and Juan Martín Fazio argued that the vessels involved would carry out catches of marine living resources and then export, transshipment or unloading operations without going through Argentine Customs controls. In that context, they argued that the crime of smuggling could be established and cited Articles 863, 864 subsection a) and 865 of the Customs Code.
The filing also states that the British authorizations would be used to evade Argentine oversight and the payment of the corresponding duties. In addition, the complainants requested that it be determined whether Argentine officials bore responsibility for an alleged “failure to conduct surveillance, patrols” or for not having initiated proceedings in response to the reported facts.
Among the measures requested, they asked that the Argentine Naval Prefecture and INIDEP submit sighting and identification reports on fishing fleets linked to the companies named in the complaint and others detected in the area under British licenses or without Argentine authorization. They also requested reports from the General Customs Directorate on exports and duty payments, and from the General Inspectorate of Justice on business ties, subsidiaries and operating assets in Argentine mainland territory.
According to the filing, the summons of the accused directors for questioning and the adoption of precautionary measures on vessels and commercial assets on the mainland could also be appropriate.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
