Dominican Republic Police ‘vanished’ US$67.5M in drugs: Nacional

Santo Domingo.- The more than 1,000 kilos of cocaine that vanished which had been seized during raids across the country by the Police Antinarcotics Div. (Dican) is what triggered an investigation and the suspension of its director, some 17 agents and two deputy prosecutors, reports outlet elnacional.com.do quoting a source.

The drug seized and never reported by Dican agents is valued at more than RD$3.0 billion (US$67.5 million), the source said.

A statement from the National Police on Tuesday confirmed that Dican conducts an investigation but denied the arrest of its director Col. Carlos Fernández Valerio, who was suspended, and designate as interim director Col. Francisco E. Bloise, who was linked to a human-trafficking case in 2002.

After learning that cocaine seized had vanished, security agencies a submitted a report to president Danilo Medina, the chiefs of Police, of Antinarcotics (DNCD), the US Embassy and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

As to the cocaine seized in raids together with two assistant prosecutors, who are also being held, Dican never notified part of the DNCD or other agencies, although senior officers, and even the US Embassy and the DEA became aware of the case.

Police spokesman Jacobo Mateo early Wednesday said the investigation continues and more details will provided during a press conference in the coming days once the probe concludes.

The El Nacional source said the US Embassy and the DEA asked the US State Department to cancel US Colonel Fernández Valerio’s visa for his involvement in "looting" the drug.

An investigating commission will reportedly interrogate Fernandez Valerio in the next few hours, and will also include DNCD officials.

"Colonel Fernández Valerio is involved, in the loss of the drug and was and will continue being questioned for cases of Boca Chica, where they kept 33 kilos of cocaine, more than 800 kilos in Santo Domingo Este and over 200 kilos in Miches where authorities have phone records that compromise the Dican director" said the elnacional.com.do source.