British man arrested after trying to fly with two huge suitcases of cocaine

01 March 2024 , 11:10

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The 32-year-old British man was arrested after two suitcases were found containing suspected cocaine (Image: DNCB)

A British man has been arrested after trying to fly out of the Dominican Republic with two suitcases full of suspected cocaine.

The 32-year-old was held as he tried to board a plane to Frankfurt in Germany. Police on the Caribbean island confirmed the arrest and said they were trying to find out if he was part of a larger gang of drug traffickers.

Officers also released video footage showing them counting out the 36 cellophane-wrapped packets containing the suspected cocaine, barely hidden under a thin layer of clothing. The arrest was made at Punta Cana International Airport after specialist sniffer dogs honed in on the two suspicious suitcases.

The arrest was made at Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic (DNCB)

The British man was taken into custody after spot tests on the suspected drugs. A spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s National Drug Control Directorate said yesterday: “Officers from the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and members of the Specialized Airport Security Corps, coordinated by the Public Ministry, seized 36 packages believed to be cocaine, in an operation carried out at the Punta Cana International Airport in La Altagracia province.

"DNCD agents and members of other official organizations were carrying out inspection tasks in one of the boarding areas of the terminal, when a canine unit alerted them to suspicious substances in two suitcases. In accordance with the established protocol and in the presence of a deputy prosecutor, they were opened and a total of 36 packages were found distributed in both suitcases.

'A crying pregnant woman asked me to swap seats on a plane but I refused'

Authorities said checks would be made to 'determine the type and exact weight of the substance' (DNCB)

“A 32-year-old British man was arrested in the case and has been handed over to public prosecutors working in the province of La Altagracia. The Public Ministry and the DNCD have initiated an investigation to establish if other people were involved in the frustrated shipment of the substance to Frankfurt, Germany.”

“The authorities have continued to reinforce their operations against drug trafficking and its related crimes, at airports, ports, borders and throughout the national territory. The 36 packages were sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) to determine the type and exact weight of the substance."

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Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas