The intervention seized over 1,200 gallons of alcohol in the process of adulteration in Santo Domingo.
The Specialized Corps for the Control of Fuels and Trade of Goods (CECCOM) reported this Friday, 28 November 2025 that it dismantled a clandestine factory for adulterated alcohol. This action was executed as part of its preventative operational plan ahead of the Christmas period.
According to the institution, the discovery was made possible by technical surveillance work carried out by teams from CECCOM’s Intelligence Department in an area close to the Ozama River. The illegal structure was operating there and was utilizing water extracted directly from the river that divides the capital city from eastern Santo Domingo.
The water supply was managed through improvised piping connected to a gasoline suction pump, while the fermentation tanks were kept hidden among the undergrowth to avoid detection.
During the intervention, agents located, perforated, and emptied 16 metal tanks and 9 plastic containers, totaling 25 vessels with a combined estimated capacity of 1,235 gallons of liquid in the process of adulteration.
CECCOM stated that these actions are part of the operational reinforcement and strategic intelligence development across the national territory. The goal is to impede the circulation of illicit products that threaten public health and cause millions in losses to the State and the formal sector.
The joint effort to combat adulterated alcohol coordinated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM) and composed of public and private entities, has achieved sustained results since its creation.
According to reports, the country has maintained zero deaths from adulterated alcohol since 2021 and has seized over 160 million units of illicit merchandise, which have been incinerated or disposed of as part of preventive and prosecutorial actions.
These achievements have received international recognition. The Dominican Republic’s position in the Illicit Trade Index 2025 is notable, where it ranks among the least vulnerable countries to illicit trade, as is the invitation from the Senate of Brazil to present the Dominican experience as a successful regional reference.
This successful operation likely saved lives by removing a large volume of potentially lethal, illegally manufactured alcohol from circulation just before a period of high consumption like Christmas.
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Noticias SIN
1 December 2025