The Customs Department ordered the transfer of 126 of a total 129 customs employees at the Las Americas International Airport (AILA). The personnel shuffle came after several reports of extortion were received from travelers. The director of Customs, Vicente Sanchez Baret, explained that he had received a report from the Security Department of Aerodom, the private company that operates the airport. Aerodom’s statements linked Customs personnel and the military stationed at the airport to incidents of blackmail.
The government delegate at AILA, Carlos Cota Lama, applauded the measure but said the extortion could continue regardless. “It is true that there is extortion of travelers at the airports. Some customs agents could be involved, but it is evident that people attired in suits without any official identification have free mobility in the customs hall and it is necessary to determine who is behind their presence there,” he said to Diario Libre.