Barahona — Within the framework of the reinforcement of operational capacities, agents of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), members of the Dominican Republic Navy (ARD), and the Air Force (FARD), coordinated by members of the Public Ministry, seized another shipment of 556 packages presumably cocaine and 69 bales of marijuana, in a joint and combined interdiction operation, developed off the coast of the province of Barahona.
After receiving intelligence reports, the agents and military personnel deployed a wide pursuit operation by air, sea, and land to capture several individuals who were suspiciously moving in a boat toward the coasts of the Dominican territory.
After 15 hours, the maritime, air, and land units managed to intercept the 26 feet long boat, several nautical miles south of the coast of the province of Barahona, where they confiscated 21 sacks containing 556 packages presumably of cocaine and 69 bales of marijuana.
In the operation, a Dominican, a Colombian, and a Venezuelan were arrested and are in the hands of the authorities of this province to be submitted to justice in the next hours for violation of law 50-88 on drugs and controlled substances.
During the interdiction, the authorities also seized four Garmin GPS, a cell phone, two outboard motors of 75 horsepower each, several fuel bottles, water, foodstuffs, and other evidence.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the DNCD are investigating further to determine if there are others involved in this international drug trafficking network, whose mode of operation is to bring in large loads of drugs in speedboats from South America.
“The criminal networks have suffered a hard blow, with the seizure in the last week of a total of 2,480 kilograms of drugs (2.4 tons), in joint operations carried out at airports, ports, coasts, borders and other points of the country,” the statement said.
The DNCD highlights the firm and decisive support of the Central Government, the Armed Forces (Navy, Air Force, and Army), the Attorney General’s Office, State intelligence agencies, and international cooperation, which has been decisive in dealing important blows to these transnational organized crime networks.
The 625 packages, presumably cocaine and marijuana, confiscated in this new operation were sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), which will determine in its analysis the exact type and weight of the substance.