The confiscated diesel tanker Kaluba had carried out eight trips to the country “to bring fuel” in 2017. Of these trips, four were to Puerto Plata, three to Santo Domingo and one to Barahona. On its last trip, the ship was inspected on 31 December 2017 and 1,570 kilos of cocaine were found hidden in its hull. The ship had capacity to transport 100,000 gallons of fuel. The ship was consigned to the Compañía Dominicana de Navegación (Codonave).
Under arrest in the case are the 12 crew members and days after Bienvenido Guevara Díaz (Maconi), Dante Meraldo Medina and Dante Wilfredo Medina Ozuna (Dantico) were arrested for their ties to the shipment. Mobile phones of the three had been legally tapped.
The Public Ministry had authorized the tapping of at least 50 telephone calls as part of electronic surveillance of the men.
The drugs were found as the result of a joint effort of the Dominican Armada, the US Coast Guard Service and the DNCD. The investigations showed the drugs were shipped from Colombia to Aruba from where they were sent to the Dominican Republic for transshipment to the United States.
The Attorney General Office announced it has begun to impound assets in the Dominican Republic of those accused in the case.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
El Dia
10 January 2018
