In an unprecedented operation, the Police National Investigations Department (DNI) and the Money Laundering Unit of the Attorney General’s office (PGR) have dismantled a powerful international network made up of Dominicans, Colombians and Venezuelans whose principal activities were drug trafficking and money laundering.
The network sent sums ranging between US$2,500,000 and US$12,500,000 a month to Venezuela, Colombia and Panama, and this year managed to carry out operations worth more than US$70 million, more than RD$2.82 billion at the current rate of exchange.
DNI spokesman, Ramon Brito and chief of operations Colonel Fidel Calcano Paulino announced the news during a press conference held at the DNI headquarters. The officials showed reporters stacks of money (US$1,003,000, EUR24,500 and RD$150,000) together with 20 luxury vehicles that were seized in 14 searches carried out simultaneously on Wednesday, 12 and Thursday 13 December in the National District and in the provinces of Santo Domingo, Monsenor Nouel (Bonao), La Vega, including the city of Jarabacoa, and Santiago.
The intelligence agency also seized 13 kilos of cocaine, several weapons of different calibers and more than 2,500 bullets for the weapons.
The 20 luxury vehicles that were impounded are all 2012 models, including six SUVs (one Mercedes Benz, two Lexus, two Land Cruisers and a BMW X6). They also brought in three Toyota Hilux pickup trucks, a Nissan Navara, an Izuzu D-Max and a BMW 320i and another BYD and two motorcycles. Most of the vehicles have hidden compartments that function manually or automatically.
Calcano Paulino reported the arrest of seven Colombians, seven Venezuelans and two Dominicans, along with a Venezuelan woman and two Dominican women.
He named Venezuelan Angel Maria Buitrago Vacca as the head of the network along with his brother “Santiago Castro Sanchez” or Huber Buitrago Ruiz, who operated in Santiago.
Also arrested were Colombians Diego Maria Guzman Arango, Ginaliz Quintero Flores (La Gorda), Flavio Hernando Perilla Caro (Caracas), Julio Rubiano Quintero, a Venezuelan, as well as other foreigners and Dominicans.
The network’s properties are reportedly worth more than RD$400 million. As of yesterday the DNI and the PGR had identified two summer villas, one in Jarabacoa and another in Jima Abajo in La Vega, both belonging to Buitrago Ruiz.
There is also a farm on the old Duarte Highway, in the sector of El Ingenio in Santiago, and an industrial building located near the 6 of November Highway belonging to Julio Rubiano Quintero, a mechanical workshop (Painting and Bodywork Tico) on 9 Street, in the INVI sector in Santiago, belonging to Pedro de Jesus and apartment B-6 in the Prestige Tower on Padre Fortin Street in the Esmeralda sector of Santiago, which belongs to Buitrago Ruiz.
In addition, they had rented four apartments, two in Mayer II and two in Juan Antonio XII on Mirador Sur in Santo Domingo. They had another apartment in the Ultimo Arte Tower in Piantini in the National District, another in the Los Molinos Tower in the Esmeralda section of Santiago and a house on Piantini Street and another one on Salina #12 in Bella Vista in the capital.
PGR Money Laundering Unit director, German Medina Villalona, said that operations would continue today, Friday 14 December in different points of the country and that four members of the gang are currently fugitives.
“This gang moved an average of twelve million dollars a month in the country, and they received the drugs along the coast of Bani, from where they distributed them to different points in the country, which is where we searched,” he said.
He said that the detainees would appear in court today, Friday 14 December regarding coercive measures at the District Attorney’s office in the National District. Villalona said that the dismantling of the network sets a precedent and the Financial Analysis Unit of the DNI had dealt it a severe blow with the PGR’s support.