Army seizes 23,000 contraband cigarettes hidden in a minivan in Mao

Valverde. Members of the Dominican Republic Army (ERD) seized a shipment of 23,000 contraband cigarettes and detained the driver of the vehicle in which they were being transported during an operation carried out in the municipality of Mao, Valverde province.

The intervention took place while a military patrol was conducting a tour along General Benito Monción Avenue, where a gray Toyota Previa minivan, driven by Juan Carlos Abreu Rodríguez, was intercepted.

During the vehicle inspection, the military personnel found 115 packs of Capital brand cigarettes, equivalent to 23,000 units, hidden inside two sacks and mixed with other merchandise, including footwear and clothing, allegedly for the purpose of evading authority controls.

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The driver was arrested at the scene and, along with the vehicle, the seized merchandise, and other evidence, was transferred to the headquarters of the Fourth Infantry Brigade of the ERD to be placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the competent authorities, in order to continue the corresponding process.

The Army reported that it maintains permanent patrol and interdiction operations in different parts of the country as part of the actions to combat smuggling, confront illicit activities, and reinforce national security.