Santo Domingo.- Dominican authorities have seized over 3,000 packages of suspected marijuana at the Haina Oriental port in Santo Domingo province, marking the largest haul of the drug ever recorded in the country. The seizure followed intelligence reports that led agents from the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), along with military personnel and canine units, to inspect a suspicious container filled with cat litter. Upon x-ray inspection, 115 boxes containing 3,004 packages of the drug, wrapped in aluminum foil, were discovered.
The container originated in Guatemala, passed through Panama, and arrived in the Dominican Republic on April 22. Investigations led authorities to a home in Villa Mella, where four individuals—three men and one woman—were arrested. Two vehicles, mobile phones, documents, and cash were also seized. A fifth suspect, listed as one of the cargo consignees, is still at large.
The DNCD stated that the operation, coordinated with customs, intelligence agencies, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, represents one of the most significant blows to transnational drug trafficking in the country. The confiscated packages have been sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) for testing.