Assault rifles were meant for organized crime, drug traffickers

Santo Domingo.- Defense minister Ruben Dario Paulino on Thursdaysaid he doesn’t rule out that the weapons, ammo and supplies seized the HainaOriental port Wednesday were for use by organized crime to protect drug traffickers.

He said none of the weapons seized during searches bymilitary Intelligence and Customs don’t have any serial number which makes identification"very difficult" in they need to be traced after use in some illegalaction.

Interviewed by newspaper Listin Diario, the military officialsaid the searches at the port continues. "Today inspections of eight containersof the same company continued to verify information we received that theseshipments had weapons, but so far we have nothing else."

Two arrests

Paulino revealed that two people have been detained for questioningthus far, "but we cannot give details on the progress to prevent contaminatingthis procedure."

He added that security measures at the ports are beingstrengthened.