The Dominican Public Ministry announced on Sunday, November 17, 2024, the launch of Operation PANDORA against a major criminal network composed of agents of the Dominican National Police led by the Colonel responsible for the management of weapons and ammunition of this institution.

This network, according to prosecutors, would have stolen more than 900,000 rounds of ammunition that were the subject of several hundred transactions

The investigation that led to Operation PANDORA was launched last October.

Colonel Narciso Antonio Féliz Romero, who was in charge of the guarding of weapons and ammunition, as well as the deputy Commissioner Juan Miguel Pérez Soler were arrested during the operation.

Captain Nelson Valdez, head of the weapons, ammunition and equipment depot, and Captain and auditor Victor Manuel Santos, who modified the results of an audit carried out in February to cover up the theft of ammunition, were also arrested, as well as Second Lieutenant Marino Antonio Rodriguez Toribio, a gunsmith at the Cibao Central Regional Directorate.

In addition, Sergeant Major Miguel Ángel Gómez Espaillat, Corporal Juan Luis Díaz Medina, agents Rubiel Martínez alias "Escobar" and Moreibin Medina Pérez, and the accused Miguelina Bello Segura are also detained as key elements of the operational part of the criminal organization.

The Public Ministry stated that Captain Santos had been an auditor for more than 6 years at the arms department and that in addition to falsifying the data during the February audit, he tried to manipulate the figures again depending on the progress of the investigation, an action that was quickly detected by investigators.

In recent weeks, prosecutors and technical teams from the Public Ministry have worked intensively to carry out this operation, which was the subject of an audit by the National Police that highlighted not only disciplinary but also criminal violations.

The investigation led to the seizure of weapons, ammunition, digital evidence of more than a hundred financial transactions and data extracted from electronic devices, consolidating a set of evidence to be presented before the investigating judge.

To be continued...

SL/ HaitiLibre