In what is being considered a new tactic in international drug trafficking, agents from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), supported by members of the Specialized Security Corps (CESAC) and coordinated by the Public Ministry (Justice Department), seized 162 ceramic pieces designed to resemble cocaine-filled lemons during inspection operations at the Las Américas International Airport (SDQ).
Military personnel proceeded to conduct a search after a suspicious image was detected within a container destined for Europe using an X-ray machine.
A canine unit was deployed to inspect the cargo and alerted to the presence of controlled substances. Upon opening the container, several boxes were found containing 162 ceramic limes filled with cocaine, totaling approximately 10 kilograms, according to an analysis confirmed by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif).
“This is a new tactic employed by international drug trafficking networks, involving the creation of ceramic pieces that mimic the color, size, and other characteristics of limes to smuggle narcotics through the country’s air and sea terminals,” authorities stated.
According to the manifest, the boxes were sent by a company located in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Montecristi province, and were to be received by a company engaged in the buying and selling of products located on Grote Pieter Street in Belgium.
The Public Ministry and the DNCD have launched an investigation into the failed shipment of cocaine.
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DNCD
12 November 2024