Dominican Republic: Authorities seize 1,000 kilos of cocaine

By Dialogo
August 22, 2012

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Authorities reported on Aug. 21 the seizure of 1,000 kilos (2,205 pounds) of cocaine, with the assistance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
The Dominican National Drug Control Bureau (DNCD) said four Colombians were arrested in the operation, part of Operation Martillo, an international initiative that gathers Latin American, Western Hemisphere and European nations and the United States in an effort to curtail illicit trafficking routes on both coasts of the Central American isthmus.
“We are working together with the DEA on all the information found in possession of the four Colombians, with the goal of locating the people who were going to receive the 40 packages, each containing 25 packets,” a statement released by the DNCD said.
According to the DNCD, the narcotics were carried aboard a speedboat bound from South America to the United States. After the alleged narco-traffickers were arrested, authorities transported them to Puerto Rico.
The investigation is trying to establish whether the four Colombians had any accomplices.
The seizure is the second largest of the year. In March, authorities seized1,282.5 kilos (2,828 pounds) of cocaine in the town of Juan Dolio, 28 miles east of Santo Domingo.
[DNCD (Dominican Republic), 22/08/2012; Xinhua (China), 21/08/2012]