Santo Domingo.-The authorities yesterday carried out multiple raids in various parts of the country to arrest those involved in the frustrated operation of 9.8 tons of cocaine seized at the beginning of December in the Caucedo Multimodal Port.
89 prosecutors and 564 special forces agents participated in the so-called Operation Panthera 7, resulting in several arrests in raids that began at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Several people were arrested in the operation, including the ringleader of the network who was in charge of moving the colossal shipment through the port terminal and ensuring that it reached its final destination, which was Belgium.
In addition, firearms, cash and several vehicles, including heavy vehicles, were seized.
In the next few hours, the Public Ministry will proceed to request a measure of coercion against the defendants arrested so far and who are members of the aforementioned organization.
The elite intelligence units participating in operations against organized crime are deployed in various parts of the country, using special equipment, including support helicopters, in what, in the opinion of the agencies, completes one of the largest operational offensives in against organized crime carried out in the hemisphere.
Investigation details
The Attorney General’s Office of the Dominican Republic reported that in the course of the investigation, evidence has been collected that demonstrates that the 9,587 packages weighing 9,889 kilos of cocaine were brought to the Dominican Republic from Colombia by sea, specifically, through Bayahibe, La Romana and Pedernales, in months prior to December 2024.
In addition, the criminal organization captured several employees of the Multimodal Port of Caucedo, who contributed to the entry of the cargo to the terminal aboard container number FFAU4542281.
Modern investigation techniques have been included in the investigations, such as the reconstruction of the crime scene using special software, among others, which will be presented to the judge at the time, and in which collaboration has been received from the Central Directorate of Investigations. Criminals for the processing of some important scenes for the investigation.
Likewise, it was determined that the organization operates the container transportation companies Grasswey Group SRL and GWG Transport, which they used for international drug trafficking. Although the investigation reveals a broader and more complex network of sponsors.
Other details
The Attorney General’s Office reported that the investigation showed that, to guard the cargo, four men entered the port with assault weapons inside the empty container with the active complicity of terminal employees who were associated with the criminal organization; as proven by the evidence collected in the investigation, some delivered to the authorities by the Caucedo administration.
It was indicated that the National Drug Control Directorate had intelligence information indicating that an important shipment of cocaine was intended to be moved through the port, taking advantage of the large commercial flow in December, so, on instructions from its president, Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, larger personnel than usual and tactical units were deployed.
Subsequently, the intelligence information was reinforced by an alert that the DNCD received from the Caucedo administration regarding unusual movements, which is why the seizure of the controlled substance was carried out.
Authorities also seized cash.
The authorities revealed that at 5:40 in the afternoon on December 5, the container FFAU4542281 was captured while it was being transferred aboard the Mack truck, model CXU613, blue, license plate L380563, RNTT sign S503, traveling through the Brisas de Caucedo street, in a north-south direction, and upon reaching access control P-0 of the Caucedo Multimodal Port, evades the verification of the cargo.
At 06:05 in the afternoon, the container was captured while it was being transferred aboard the truck passing the P-1 access control of the Caucedo Multimodal Port, where it was declared an empty return, but it was carrying more than 9.8 tons of cocaine.
The truck used to enter the container loaded with drugs was seized with a GPS that the criminal organization was not aware it possessed, since said device had been left by the company that had sold it. The aforementioned vehicle had not been transferred at the time the drugs entered the port.
Drug trafficking
—1— Record
The Dominican Republic will close 2024 with a new record in drug seizures with more than 44 tons nationwide, surpassing the mark of 31 tons registered in 2022.
—2— Region
The seizure of 9.8 tons of coca marked a milestone in the fight against drug trafficking in the region.
