DOMINICAN ANTINARCOTICS CZAR RELEASES CHILLING FIGURES

SANTO DOMINGO. - Dominican antinarcotics agency (DNCD) president
Rafael Ramirez said since he was assigned to the post on August 16,
2006 to date, the entity has confiscated 25.4 percent of all the
drugs seized by the authorities in the last the 7 years.

In a press conference in DNCD headquarters in Santo Domingo today,
the official said the DNCD has seized 7,782.03 kilos of narcotics in
the last 6 years, of which 30,693.08 kilos, or 25.4 percent in the
last 13 months.

He said 19,166,190 portions of pure cocaine have the seized in his
tenure. "If we included other types of confiscated drugs we would be
speaking of RD$2.14 billion (US$64 million)."

The said 14,412 raids have been conducted during his tenure, with
21,117 arrests, 41 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 25.

He said 19,504 drug-selling points have been eradicated to date and
that 237 new antinarcotics agents will join the organism. He said
DNCD members have been the target of more than 400 attacks, with 42
of them seriously wounded and three assassinated.