The crew of an Ontario airline has been detained since early April and is under interrogation after officials say they seized 200 packages of presumed cocaine at a Dominican airport earlier this month.
According to statement issued to CTV News Toronto by PivotAirlinesan airline launched out of Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2021, five crew members discovered and reported contraband found on the aircraft, bound for Toronto, while grounded at the Punta Cana airport on April 5.
The Dominican Republic’s National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) said that eight packages, each containing 25 smaller packages of cocaine, totaling 200 packages, were located in the aircraft’s control compartments after an in-depth search.
Pivot confirmed the entire crew, comprised of nine Canadian residents, one Indian resident and one Dominican resident, has been detained since the discovery.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the DNCD are keeping several persons under investigation, who are being interrogated to determine their possible implication,” a press release issued April 6 said.
On Tuesday, Pivot said that the Dominican court has “decided to improve the conditions for [their] crew, and have outlined a process for their eventual release from detention.”
“We are grateful for the decision and are working diligently to secure their release,” the airline said.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told CTV News Toronto they were “aware” of the detention, but that further details couldn’t be provided due to privacy considerations.