Crew From Pearson Airport Detained In Punta Cana After A Lot Of Drugs Were Found Onboard

A flight crew from Toronto Pearson Airport has been detained in the Dominican Republic after a bunch of hard drugs were found on board the plane.

In a statement to Narcity, Pivot Airlines, a Pearson-based airline, shared that on Tuesday, April 5, five of their crew members discovered "suspected contraband" in a maintenance compartment of the plane.

In a press release posted on Wednesday, April 6, the Dominican Republic's National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) along with the help of the Specialized Airport Security Group, state intelligence and the public prosecutor's office seized 200 packages of what is believed to be cocaine inside a plane that came from Toronto.

"Since that time, the entire crew has been detained in the Dominican Republic," the spokesperson for Pivot Airlines said.

The DNCD and the Public Prosecutor's Office have detained 11 people, including nine Canadians, as they conduct their investigation. They are looking into who is responsible for the drugs that were on board.

The crew, the passengers and the airplane are now under the control of the public prosecutor's office as authorities continue to see if anyone else is involved.

"Today, the court decided to improve the conditions for our crew, and have outlined a process for their eventual release from detention facilities," Pivot Airlines shared.

"We are grateful for the decision and are working diligently to secure their release."

Jason Kung, a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada, told Narcity that they are aware of the detained Canadian citizens in the Dominican Republic.

"Consular officials are providing consular assistance and are in contact with the families of the Canadian citizens," Kung said.

No other information was shared due to privacy considerations, Kung added.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.