Law enforcement dismantles clandestine labs in Dominican Republic and Colombia

Police agents of the Dominican Republic’s National Police Regional South unit raided a hidden facility in the municipality of Vicente Noble, Barahona province, where illegal clerén – a homemade alcoholic beverage often contaminated with toxic methanol – was being produced. Officials seized nine tanks, five large containers, hoses and other equipment, destroyed the contents and warned of health risks. In a separate operation in the municipality of Cabral, the police recovered a motorcycle reported stolen in 1998 and detained a 21‑year‑old driver, handing both over to the public prosecutor.

In Colombia, troops from the 31st Light Infantry Battalion of the Army, supported by police intelligence and anti‑narcotics units, uncovered a clandestine laboratory in the rural area of Bocas de Uré, Puerto Libertador, Córdoba. The site contained more than 80 kg of potassium permanganate, 325 L of bleach, 125 kg of potassium, 100 kg of cement and equipment capable of producing 500 kg of the chemical per month, a key ingredient in the final stage of cocaine processing. Two suspects were arrested, and the seized material, linked to the Rubén Darío Ávila sub‑structure of the Clan del Golfo, represents an estimated loss of 70 million Colombian pesos for the armed group. The evidence has been turned over to the national prosecutor’s office for further legal action.