NewsWhore
04-04-2011, 04:00 PM
The pace of drug confiscations at leading Dominican airports has picked up since 23 March when a clandestine cargo of 33.3 kilos of cocaine was detected in a suitcase belonging to a passenger headed for Toronto, Canada at the Puerto Plata International airport. As reported in Listin Diario, antidrug forces have uncovered a shipment on average every two days.
The newspaper reports that last Friday, agents at Punta Cana International arrested Mercedes Mendez Cuevas, a 22-year old Dominican who also held Spanish nationality, prior to her boarding a plane carrying 14 kilos of cocaine in a suitcase.
At Las Americas International Airport the authorities confiscated 12 packages of cocaine weighing 14 kilograms that had abandoned inside a handbag that was left on a ramp. Earlier, at Las Americas, the DNCD reported the arrest of Spaniard Leon Bernal with two kilos of cocaine in the soles of four pairs of tennis shoes. Swiss citizen Andreina Maria Berri Salim, 52, was arrested with 330 grams of cocaine in her vagina, and Spaniard Juan Carlos Sanfiel Medina, 44, was arrested with half a kilo of cocaine sewn into his pants. Also, Italian Guiseppa Fiorella Bellavia was arrested when attempting to fly to Brussels from Puerto Plata with 3 kilos of cocaine in a suitcase. Last week a man was arrested at Las Americas with 7.8 kilos of cocaine appended to his body. Other arrests involved two Peruvians, three other Spaniards, a Swedish citizen and three Dominicans who had intended to travel to France and Germany.
As reported, PUJ is the terminal where most Spaniards have been arrested for attempting to travel to Europe with drugs.
Arrests of travelers from the DR at their destination airports are also up, especially in Barajas (Madrid), and at airports in Brussels and Germany. There are also reports of arrests in Boston, Newark, New York and Philadelphia involving passengers arriving with drugs from the DR.
The head of the National Drug Control Department (DNCD) says that arrests are due to improved intelligence and controls by the Airport Security Crops and other intelligence organizations. He said this does not mean that drug smuggling has increased, but that controls have been improved.
El Caribe reports that only last night, agents uncovered a haul of more than 3 kilos of cocaine destined for New York. Gladimir Cabrera Pujols, 26, was arrested when the cocaine was discovered in her luggage prior to traveling to New York from Santiago's Cibao International airport.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
The newspaper reports that last Friday, agents at Punta Cana International arrested Mercedes Mendez Cuevas, a 22-year old Dominican who also held Spanish nationality, prior to her boarding a plane carrying 14 kilos of cocaine in a suitcase.
At Las Americas International Airport the authorities confiscated 12 packages of cocaine weighing 14 kilograms that had abandoned inside a handbag that was left on a ramp. Earlier, at Las Americas, the DNCD reported the arrest of Spaniard Leon Bernal with two kilos of cocaine in the soles of four pairs of tennis shoes. Swiss citizen Andreina Maria Berri Salim, 52, was arrested with 330 grams of cocaine in her vagina, and Spaniard Juan Carlos Sanfiel Medina, 44, was arrested with half a kilo of cocaine sewn into his pants. Also, Italian Guiseppa Fiorella Bellavia was arrested when attempting to fly to Brussels from Puerto Plata with 3 kilos of cocaine in a suitcase. Last week a man was arrested at Las Americas with 7.8 kilos of cocaine appended to his body. Other arrests involved two Peruvians, three other Spaniards, a Swedish citizen and three Dominicans who had intended to travel to France and Germany.
As reported, PUJ is the terminal where most Spaniards have been arrested for attempting to travel to Europe with drugs.
Arrests of travelers from the DR at their destination airports are also up, especially in Barajas (Madrid), and at airports in Brussels and Germany. There are also reports of arrests in Boston, Newark, New York and Philadelphia involving passengers arriving with drugs from the DR.
The head of the National Drug Control Department (DNCD) says that arrests are due to improved intelligence and controls by the Airport Security Crops and other intelligence organizations. He said this does not mean that drug smuggling has increased, but that controls have been improved.
El Caribe reports that only last night, agents uncovered a haul of more than 3 kilos of cocaine destined for New York. Gladimir Cabrera Pujols, 26, was arrested when the cocaine was discovered in her luggage prior to traveling to New York from Santiago's Cibao International airport.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)