A 22-year-old U.S. citizen of Haitian descent was apprehended at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) by agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and members of the Specialized Airport Security Corps (CESAC). The suspect was allegedly attempting to serve as a mule for international drug trafficking, carrying more than five kilograms of suspected cocaine, DNCD reports.
The arrest occurred during a routine inspection of luggage and was coordinated by members of the Public Ministry. Agents and military personnel detected suspicious images in the X-ray scan of two bags belonging to the foreign national. Following instructions from the prosecutor, authorities opened the bags to discover a hidden compartment containing two flat packages, weighing over five kilograms of what is presumed to be cocaine.
The individual was set to travel from Punta Cana to Frankfurt, Germany, and is now in custody under the jurisdiction of the Permanent Attention Court in La Altagracia Province, where he will face coercive measures in the coming hours.
The Public Ministry and the DNCD are expanding their investigation to determine if others are involved in the thwarted drug trafficking operation.
The arrest follows that of another foreigner earlier in the week who was found trafficking two kilos of cocaine.
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DNCD
DNCD
19 September 2024