Since the change of government, 23% of the cocaine seized in the Dominican Republic has been confiscated at the Punta Caucedo Multimodal Port, the largest freight container terminal in the country. Listin Diario reached the 23% percentage after adding up announcements made the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD).
From August 2020 to December 2021, around seven metric tons have been seized at the Punta Caucedo port, confiscated around 30 metric tons nationwide. This compares to only 3.2 metric tons of cocaine that were seized at the port in the past Medina government.
Nevertheless, the newspaper report mentions several areas where security at the port could be improved, including camera surveillance, the fencing, and collusion with port employees. The newspaper reporter did not interview the authorities at the Port to learn about actions taken to counteract drug trafficker efforts, or what is different that so much cocaine is being seized.
The Multimodal Port Punta Caucedo is undergoing remodeling works that would allow it to increase its cargo handling capacity by 45%, taking it from 1.4 million to 2.2 million teus (the unit equivalent to twenty feet used in maritime transportation.)
The authorities hope that this expansion will enable the terminal to become a hub for the Americas.
A week ago, the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and prosecutors seized 266 packages of cocaine in a freight container at the Multimodal Port Caucedo.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
13 December 2021