Customs employees in US$1.0M airport theft get 1 year in jail to await trial

Santiago.- A Santiago court on Thursday sent eight CustomsAgency employees at Cibao Airport and a woman traveler to one year pretrialdetention, on charges of currency smuggling and money laundering.

Judicial District Permanent Attention judge Luis Nobel handeddown the ruling after deliberating several hours on motions by prosecution and defense lawyers.

The indictment names Army Capt. Domingo Antonio PilarteJiménez, Customs employees Marcos DanielFelipe, Mairelin Rodríguez, Leovigildo Ubiera, Nery del Carmen Correa, BenitoHenríquez, Luz Carlina Infante, Ramón Hipólito Henríquez and Osairy MercedesQuezada, charged with stealing nearly US$1.0 million smuggled by Quezada.