TNAG-1709-FCO40-2384-Hong-Kong-narcotics-offences-and-drug-trafficking-1988 — Page 42

Summary.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The United States Government continues to receive outstanding across-the-board narcotics program support from the Dominican Republic. Dominican authorities continue to take full advantage of intelligence obtained from the US-supported Joint Information Coordination Center (JICC). Successful investigations since January 1 resulted in the seizure of a cocaine lab in January, and

in two separate operations in April, one of which led to the seizure of 714 kilos of cocaine on

north coast,

followed by near-simultaneous seizure of 961 kilos of cocaine

on the south coast. Both shipments were intended for the United States. End Summary.

the

The US-provided radar continues to assist the Dominican government in its anti-narcotics operations. It has assisted U.S. agencies in detecting and tracking narcotics-smuggling aircraft into The Bahamas. One aircraft was carrying 2000 pounds of marijuana and 150 pounds of cocaine destined for the United States; the second was carrying 528 pounds of cocaine.

As the JICC data collection process has matured and added new sources of information, it has paid new dividends. During this period JICC-provided information led to the arrest at local airports of narcotics fugitives wanted in the United States. One example involved a trafficker whose name entered the JICC system when he was issued a Dominican visa in Colombia.. Officials of the Government of the Dominican Republic, whose US-provided computers matched

matched the visa-issued list with our U.S. fugitive lists, were awaiting him when he arrived on a commercial flight from Bogota and escorted him directly to an aircraft leaving for the United States.

In March, President Balaguer signed a decree conferring non-profit status on the Fernando Arturo de Merino Foundation, a private sector organization founded to raise funds for drug education, law enforcement and rehabilitation efforts. The organization was spearheaded by Porfirio Lopez, Chief of the Computer Section of the JICC, who perceived the need and persuaded his uncle, Santo Domingo Archbishop Nicholas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, to serve as honorary president of the board of directors, composed entirely of heavy-hitters from the Dominican business world. private sector financial anti-narcotics program.

The

and

organization will mobilize moral support for the