Colombia???s Prosecutor General???s Office formally indicted a businessman who has been accused of being one of the country’s most important smugglers on conspiracy and bribery charges.
Diego Marin, a.k.a. ???The Contraband Czar” or “Papa Smurf,” attended the hearing virtually from Portugal where he is being detained.
According to the prosecution, Marin delivered more than $270 thousand in bribes to corrupt officers of the Fiscal and Customs Police (Polfa) between September 2023 and March 2024.
The officers stationed in the Caribbean port of Cartagena and the Pacific port of Buenaventura allegedly allowed the ???Czar??? to continue his smuggling operations in exchange for monthly bribes.
The case against Marino alleged that he had repeated bribery in different forms.
Bribes were paid repeatedly. They were also paid in the form of rent, and luxury goods such as vehicles and high-end cell phones for clandestine communication were given to National Police officers, among other unjustified items.
Prosecution
The prosecutor stated that Papa Smurf’s network was meant to be permanent, and to ensure continuity in the event that associated officials were replaced.
The organization’s modus operandi was designed to be permanent, because every time there were changes in the Polfa personnel coordinating control activities at the ports, Diego Marin, directly or through an intermediary, contacted the new officials, division heads, offering and giving large sums of money in exchange for favors.
Prosecution
Marin’s defense argued that there is a “lack of clarity regarding the legally relevant facts, and on the contrary, references are made to indicative facts that are related to the evidence.”
The lawyer also stated that the accusations have been too “generic,” making it difficult to develop an adequate defense plan.
Marin has been under investigation since the 1990’s, but allegedly used his influence and wealth to bribe tax and police officials.
According to newspaper El Espectador, authorities first learned of Marin???s smuggling activities in 1993 when his imports were linked to payments made to the now-defunct Cali Cartel.
Once the investigations did reach the courts in 2024, the alleged smuggler’s defense attorneys were able to impede immediate legal action because Papa Smurf had fled Colombia.
This too changed when a Bogota criminal court found the alleged smuggler in contempt of court in June.
