Four French citizens sentenced for drug trafficking in DR

Santo Domingo.– Four French citizens have been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the Dominican Republic for drug trafficking. The group was about to take off from Punta Cana (northeast), Rfi.fr reported today.

According to the report, pilot Pascal Fauret, co-pilot Bruno Odos, passenger Nicolas Pisapia and alleged broker Alain Castany were arrested in March 2013 aboard a Dassault Falcon 50 jet with 26 suitcases carrying 680 kilograms of cocaine.

Fifteen months after their detention, they were released on 21 June 2014, but on Friday, after 10 hours of deliberation, a court found them "guilty of the crime of associating to (…) possess illegal drugs," the authorities said.

Despite protesting their innocence and saying they did not know the drugs were on the plane, a Dominican judge rejected the argument and said the pilots were responsible for what was on board. Rfi.fr reported.