Punta Cana – An Italian man was arrested at Punta Cana International Airport in La Altagracia while travelling to Paris, France, with suspected drugs in his stomach. Officials from the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the Specialized Airport Security Unit (CESAC) detained the 30-year-old man at immigration. Further examination revealed a foreign object in his digestive tract. He was taken to Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia Hospital, where he initially expelled 33 bags of drugs. As his condition became concerning, doctors performed surgery to remove 71 more bags, resulting in a total of 104 bags of drugs being expelled, weighing approximately 1,360 grams.
The Prosecutor’s Office and the DNCD continue to investigate the failed international drug trafficking operation to see if other actors are involved. The bag suspected to contain cocaine has been sent to the National Institute of Forensic Science (INACIF) for analysis. Public authorities have stepped up security and surveillance at airport terminals and have recently succeeded in thwarting several international drug trafficking attempts.
