Extoriton at Las Americas?

Is this true ????????? I hope not!!!!!!!!! Anyone have info?

5. Extortion at Las Americas Airport
El Caribe newspaper reports today on a scam at the Las Americas
International Airport. Passengers arriving in the country complain
they are being extorted by customs officials. They say that when they
arrive at the luggage inspection desk in the customs area, customs
employees are demanding money in exchange for letting them have their
suitcases. The story in El Caribe says that if travelers refuse to pay
between US$30 and $40, their luggage is taking to a customs depot where
?exorbitant taxes? are charged. Airport authorities have said before
that this practice had been ?left in the past? but it appears that it
has returned, says El Caribe.

Welcome to The DR under the PRD government...

I would like to know if this story is covered by any TV stations or if the news papers have pics on this?
It looks to me like more coverage on this would help stop it.
The Dominicans most likely don't care or feel tourist can afford this. I know if everyone coming down was warned of this before travel the DR would loose many more tourists.
I hate to see this going on it only hurts the DR more.
This looks like the goverment is just as much behind this as the workers doing this.
News coverage would help stop all kinds of things going on there like this.
Rob now you see why the T1 line?

Shocking if true! Canadian Bob.

It went on alot before Fernandez, then he cleaned it up. And here we go again under the PRD. What next? Jim

it's true!!what's so shocking on normality?

Re: Extortion at Las Americas?

Since Trujillo died, this is the normal practice of government officials. Our present day hyprocrites who badmouth Trujillo never dreamed that our present day politicians, government officials and government employees would become nothing more than rudimentary low class thieves.

Americans and tourists should not fear as much this 40 year old practice of extortion encouraged by Balaguer to supplement low salaries by government employees, because the practice is mostly applied to our own people, who are used to this type of abuse and do nothing about it, because we keep voting for these same people in large numbers.

And Jim, you said that Leonel Fernandez stopped this for a while. How naive. His airport administration had the most corrupted administration I have ever seen. Hipolito is just following his footsteps.

Re: Extortion at Las Americas?

The Fernandez administration may have been corrupt, but I can tell you that there was definitely a change after the PLD came to power, from before. It was like night and day going through that airport as compared to when the Reformista and the PRD were in power. The people in power now are the exact same thieves who were in power from 1978 to 1986....

Re: Extortion at Las Americas?

Yes, that is true, here is an example of some of the improvements the Fernandez Administration made: For instance a Bail Bond release from the Balaguer administration could be had for about $5000 pesos including the money for the bag man, the attorneys, the judges and the prosecutors. During the PLD you would have to pay directly to the Instruction Judge so he could funnel it down. The bag man would pick up a crisp $$130,000. But during the Balaguer years a bail bond would clean your slate completely, but the PLD would still bury your file and pull it out later to ask you for another $130,000 for the discharge.Of course they took no pesos, just dollars. Quite a difference. We are talking about comparing small time thieves with big leaguers. The PLD administration increased the famous 10% to 20% in all operations. They crowned the no-bid system for all procurements to the point where it is impossible today to straighten it out, and naturally so profitable that the PRD has learned how to steal big instead of small change stuff.

Re: Extortion at Las Americas?

i agree with duarte, the extortion at the airports is a lot worse since the new administration has taken over,they were headed in the right direction when fernandez was pres.it will be interesting to see just how much damage the PRD will do in 4 yrs...jim

Re: Extortion at Las Americas?

So, first you get shafted by american airlines for excessively high ticket prices-then you pay the government excessive taxes-then you might get to buy your way into or out of DR??? How inviting!! I agree, this practice is used more on their own people returning home than on tourists.