Spanish
Santo Domingo.- Agents of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), in coordination with the Public Ministry, forensic analysts and the military security of the Caucedo Multimodal Port, seized 137.28 kilograms of liquid cocaine, the largest of its kind seized in the country.
The DNCD stated in a press release that anti-narcotics agents, in collaboration with military personnel and members of other agencies, acting on the basis of intelligence reports, intervened in a container destined for export, which contained more than 46,000 bottles of juices and soft drinks.
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During the inspection, a foreign substance was detected in one of the containers, which prompted the immediate activation of the action protocol by the prosecutors and the operational units. The operation, which began last weekend and concluded at midday this Tuesday, involved the participation of several prosecutors, 20 forensic analysts, 29 administrative technicians, security personnel, and DNCD officers. All the cargo was moved for expert examination. In total, experts from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) analyzed 46,944 bottles (equivalent to 2,786 bales), of which 623 containers tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 137.28 kilograms. "This seizure represents the largest case of liquid cocaine seized in the history of the fight against drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic," said the agency. The container was destined for Spain, and according to preliminary investigations, the drinks would have been contaminated by criminal networks operating in the country. "Drug trafficking organizations continuously implement new techniques to evade controls, which forces us to refine our detection and response strategies," added the DNCD. The institution highlighted the "importance" that the trademarks on the labels of the contaminated beverages "have no connection" to the case, as the goods were acquired in bulk by an exporting company currently under investigation. The Public Ministry and the DNCD continue to deepen investigations into this frustrated drug trafficking operation, and as the process progresses, further details will be offered, the agency affirmed.
