749 packets of cocaine seized off Baní; US congratulates Dominican Republic
The DNCD intercepted two speedboats with 749 packets of alleged cocaine and arrested four Dominicans south of Punta Salinas. The US praised the joint operation.
Blow against drug trafficking off the coast of Baní yields four arrests and 749 packets of cocaine
The United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic congratulated Dominican authorities on Monday following the interception of 749 packets of alleged cocaine in two vessels south of Punta Salinas, in Baní, Peravia province, according to infobae.com.
The recognition was directed at the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), the Navy of the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Air Force (FARD). The diplomatic mission stated that it supports these operations through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), in order to combat drug trafficking and strengthen the security of both nations.
The operation took place on Sunday. The first speedboat was located several nautical miles from Punta Salinas with two men on board and 10 bales containing 281 packets. During the inspection, agents also found an exotic monkey that was travelling with the cargo.
In a parallel intervention, authorities intercepted a second fast-moving vessel crewed by two other Dominican citizens. In that vessel they seized 20 bales with 468 packets, whose wrappings bore adhesive tape and different logos.
The 749 packets remained in custody and were sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif), which will determine the type of substance and exact weight. The Public Ministry and the DNCD are investigating possible involvement of additional persons, as well as the route used from South America to Dominican territory.
Colonel pilot Manuel Gómez, director of communications for the Air Force, indicated that the aircraft carried out more than nine hours of flight time to detect and follow the speedboats south of Isla Beata. "The information obtained from the aerial component made it possible to support the operational response and guide the actions of the Navy units of the Dominican Republic," Gómez stated.
Captain Isaac Rodríguez, director of communications for the Navy, maintained that the institution will continue surveillance in national maritime spaces. "Organised transnational crime will have no space at sea, nor will it have any," he declared.
The authorities did not disclose the identities of the four detainees or specify the intended destination of the cargo. The investigation will seek to establish the route of the vessels, the origin of the substance and the possible links of those arrested to transnational drug-trafficking organisations.
Source: Google News DO — Crime