Chilean police dismantled a massive copper smuggling network on Wednesday that drained an estimated $917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile over five years, marking one of the largest organized crime operations ever uncovered in the country. The smuggling group trucked stolen metal to Iquique, a port city in Chile's far north, then shipped it to Chinese buyers in containers disguised as scrap cargo, collecting more than $55 million during the operation. Chinese buyers were identified as the end destination of the illegal pipeline. The bust represents a major blow to organized crime in Chile, a leading global copper producer.
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