63 arrested and suspected drugs seized in Santiago and Puerto Plata

Authorities in the Dominican Republic reported 63 arrests and more than 12.7 kilograms of suspected narcotics after a week of simultaneous anti-microtrafficking operations in Santiago and Puerto Plata.

The National Drug Control Directorate, known as DNCD, and the Public Ministry carried out 459 operations and 15 raids across the two provinces. Officials placed 33 detainees under the Public Ministry’s control in Santiago and 30 in Puerto Plata.

Santiago accounted for most of the reported seizures, with 10,907.2 grams, about 85% of the total. That included 10,559.2 grams of powder preliminarily believed to be cocaine, 332 grams of a substance suspected to be marijuana and 16 grams of material authorities said could be crack.

In Puerto Plata, authorities reported seizing 1,511.6 grams of suspected cocaine, 377.3 grams of suspected marijuana and 900 milligrams of material presumed to be crack. The Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inacif, will analyze the substances to determine their final composition.

The operations are part of a broader campaign coordinated through the Joint Task Force. Authorities reported 82 arrests and 15,770 grams of suspected narcotics in operations in La Vega, Monseñor Nouel and Sánchez Ramírez on Aug. 20. Two days later, an intervention in 21 sectors of Santo Domingo Este produced 44 arrests and more than 13,000 grams of seizures. Further operations in Los Alcarrizos and Pedro Brand produced six arrests and more than 2,200 grams of suspected drugs. Together, the four announced operations since Aug. 20 account for at least 195 arrests and more than 43.8 kilograms of reported seizures.