Anti-Narcotics Law: President enacts regulations to update tools for prosecuting drug trafficking
The new law expands powers to confiscate assets and earnings, and will use the resources to strengthen investigation and prosecution. It will also increase penalties for those who supply drugs to children.
President Gabriel Boric enacted the Anti-Narcotics Law in Viña del Mar, which will improve the prosecution of drug trafficking and organized crime. He was joined by Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, Justice Minister Luis Cordero and Treasury Minister Mario Marcel.
The new regulations increase penalties for those who supply drugs to children and create a new category of crime for those who give them to third parties without their consent.
They also deal a blow to the business of drug trafficking by expanding the powers to confiscate assets and earnings, even in cases without conviction.
The law also allows the resources from drug trafficking to be used to strengthen police investigation and prosecution.
"This law is a very important step in preventing organizations from making themselves rich,” Gabriel Boric, President of Chile.
The President explained that the Financial Analysis Unit will be able to audit new types of businesses, such as those selling cars, jewelry and horses.
“Chile will finally have a law that strengthens the prosecution of drug trafficking and organized crime, preventing these organizations and their members from making themselves rich by committing crimes. This law is a very important step in the right direction. There are many criminal organizations that got used to flaunting the proceeds of their crimes for too long, and a culture of ostentation was created that seems to have become natural. As a society, we cannot naturalize it,” the President stated.
Anti-Narcotics Law and new measures
“The law strengthens prosecution of the money route behind drug trafficking and organized crime, incorporating the investigation of suspicious activities in new areas that were not previously considered, also taking control of the evolution of crime. We have to get ahead of crime, not fall behind it, incorporating investigation into areas such as the sale and rental of vehicles, the jewelry trade and, in general, any area that allows or facilitates money laundering,” he said.
The President also stressed that this week “we will be presenting a law to strengthen financial intelligence and improve the capacity of the Customs and Internal Revenue Service (SII) to meet these objectives and lift the financial secrecy of criminals. Let there be no doubt that we are going to be looking at everything, so that there is no impunity.”
Finally, President Boric highlighted that the Anti-Narcotics Law was one of 16 security projects that the Government has prioritized in Congress during March of this year, which has allowed for rapid processing.