An admitted drug trafficker in the Dominican Republic claimed several police agencies charged her a fee to sell drugs, an accusation that comes just days after charges against several high-level police and prosecutors for their involvement in a cocaine heist.
In the video interview published by Hoy on January 14, a woman identified by Hoy as Crisania Soriano admitted she had dealt drugs, and claimed she was forced to pay between $90 and $180 per week in bribes to the National Drugs Control Agency (DNCD), the national investigative police unit (DICRIM), and the country's anti-narcotics police force (DICAN).
Soriano claimed a prosecutor's office also began charging her $180 weekly once the government body found out about the police involvement, although she did not specify whether it was a local or a federal office.
However, she made clear police of all ranks were involved in the drug scheme.
“Majors, captains. I had links to everyone," she said. "From the highest to the lowest-ranking officials."
The woman stated she trafficked drugs for two and half months but stopped, and said authorities have since accused her of selling drugs to police.
InSight Crime Analysis
It is difficult to judge the veracity of Soriano's accusations considering there are no other sources to back up her story. Given the woman is currently under investigation by authorities for selling drugs to police, her claims may also be colored by ulterior motives to discredit the anti-narcotics agencies involved in the investigation against her.
However, her accusations bear some significance following the recent charges against the head of the DICAN, prosecutors, and several police officials for stealing 1.2 tons of cocaine during drug raids in 2014. One Dominican senator has since labeled the agency designed to combat drug trafficking as the country's largest micro-trafficking cartel.
SEE ALSO: Coverage of the Dominican Republic
The top-to-bottom corruption in the Dominican Republic is troubling. It appears as if a growing domestic drug market, as well as an increase in drug trafficking through the Caribbean, may be fueling police involvement in trafficking activities.
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