The 29 national police forces that make up the Americas Police Community (Ameripol) are holding their fifth summit in Santo Domingo where they will be studying the latest advances, strategies and experiences in the fight against transnational organized crime.
The head of the Dominican National Police, Jose Armando Polanco Gomez said that drug trafficking is considered to be the fundamental root of organized crime but they will also be discussing trafficking of illegal immigrants, arms, vehicle theft, money laundering, contract killings and multiple homicides.
He went on to say that thanks to the policies implemented by the presidents of the member countries and the actions of their police forces, international criminal gangs were being dismantled. He said that ten years ago the gangs were almost winning the battle, but that in the last five years in Latin America, by working as a team within the Ameripol group, they had dealt some blows to the criminal organizations. He gave the example of the eight Czech citizens who were being sought for more than 40 crimes in their home country and were arrested after barely a month in the Dominican Republic due to coordination between Interpol, Europol and Ameripol.
When asked if it was possible that the major drug cartels could gain a foothold in Central America and the Caribbean he said that it had happened in certain countries including the Dominican Republic, highlighting a case where several people were killed in a dispute over a consignment of 600 kilos of cocaine, where there was evidence a Mexican cartel was involved.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2012/11/28/256803/Policias-de-America-revisan-en-RD-acciones-ante-crimen-trasnacional