President Luis Abinader spoke with satisfaction of the achievements of his government in combatting drug trafficking. In the first two months of his government, he said the authorities have doubled the drugs that have been seized in Dominican territorial waters
He made the remarks when stopping at the Naval Base at the southern end of the Ozama River following a tour of the Ozama-Isabela river basin to observe the site of a major sustainable river development project.
Abinader praised the commander and officers at the naval division in charge of anti-narcotic operations.
During the Ozama and Isabela tour, Abinader was accompanied by Environment Minister Orlando Jorge Mera and other officials.
“I want to congratulate the head of the Navy, Vice Admiral Betances, for the excellent work he has been doing. I want you to know that in these two months, since 16 August, the Navy has been able to intercept 260% more in two months than what was done from 1 January 1 to 16 August in terms of drug trafficking and other illegal activities,” Abinader said.
The president said it has been a “truly extraordinary task” of Vice Admiral Ramon Gustavo Betances and the officers and soldiers under his command.
He said the Navy patrols were supplied with fuel, and preventive patrols were established along the Dominican Republic’s entire coast.
According to statistics, between 1 January and 16 August 11 operations were carried out to support and combat drug trafficking. This compares to 20 similar operations carried out from 16 August to 23 October. In total, 31 operations were carried out this year. In practical terms, between 1 January and 16 August, 289 packages were confiscated, while between 16 August and 23 October, 764 packages of narcotics were confiscated, which is equivalent to 1,053 packages confiscated in the year 2020.
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N Digital
26 October 2020