Police seize 900kg of cocaine in intl waters

SANTO DOMINGO - About 900 kilograms of cocaine were seized in international waters close to the Dominican Republic by police from the Caribbean country and the United States, the Dominican authorities said Monday.

The National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) of the Dominican Republic said in a statement that the drugs were intercepted from a boat early Sunday morning, preventing the drugs'landing in Ocoa bay, 125 kilometers west of the capital of Santo Domingo.

According to the DNCD, the boat was detected by US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the US Coast Guard due to its suspicious speed. The local alert system was activated, with law enforcing units chasing the suspected boat with helicopters and speed boats.

"The speed boat was chased to the international waters, where the people on the boat threw 36 packages into the sea, with some 900 kilograms of drugs. The packages were then fished out by the US Coast Guard,"the  DNCD said.

Last week, the Dominican Navy seized over one and a half tons of cocaine, which is the first important load seized this year.

In 2012, almost 10 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine, were seized and more than 700 aliens were arrested for drug trafficking.

The Dominican Republic is frequently used by traffickers as a bridge to send drugs to Europe and the United States.