Authorities Seize RD$19.4 Million In Illegal Goods In Santo Domingo

Authorities in the Dominican Republic seized 119,708 units of allegedly illicit merchandise during an operation at a business in Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo, with a preliminary value of RD$19,482,180. The goods included alcoholic beverages, premium cigarettes, sexual stimulants and medicines that were being sold irregularly.

The operation was carried out by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) and institutions participating in the country’s Mesa de Ilícitos, a multi-agency initiative focused on combating the illegal trade of regulated and taxable products.

Multiple Agencies Took Part In The Operation

The action was led by the Specialized Corps for the Control of Fuels and Merchandise Trade (CECCOM), with support from the General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (DIGEMAPS), the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) and prosecutors from the Intellectual Property Unit of the Public Ministry.

Prosecutors Bony Esther Suriel and Laurydelissa J. Aybar Jiménez participated in the operation, according to the authorities. The coordinated intervention brought together agencies responsible for commercial controls, health regulations, migration enforcement and intellectual property matters.

The seized products reportedly lacked the required health registrations and showed serious labeling irregularities. Authorities said those conditions confirmed their status as contraband and raised concerns over both consumer safety and tax compliance.

Authorities Cite Health And Tax Risks

The presence of medicines and other health-related products without the corresponding sanitary registration was a central concern in the operation. Such irregularly marketed products can bypass the controls normally required before regulated merchandise reaches consumers.

The authorities also said the merchandise represented a potential tax-evasion scheme, because products entering or being sold outside established commercial and fiscal requirements can avoid taxes and other obligations owed to the Dominican state.

The operation therefore addressed two separate areas of enforcement: the protection of consumers from improperly regulated products and the prevention of commercial practices that undermine the country’s tax and regulatory framework.

Five People Detained Over Immigration Status

During the intervention, authorities detained five Haitian nationals whom officials identified as having irregular immigration status. They were immediately transferred to Migration inspectors for the corresponding legal procedures.

The immigration action was conducted separately from the seizure and regulatory process involving the merchandise, with the DGM responsible for determining the appropriate procedures under Dominican immigration rules.

Goods Placed Under Chain Of Custody

All seized merchandise was transported under strict chain-of-custody procedures to the CECCOM headquarters, where it will remain subject to the corresponding institutional process.

MICM Minister Yayo Sanz Lovatón said the ministry would continue taking action against businesses operating outside commercial, health and tax laws. He also highlighted the joint work carried out by the institutions participating in the Mesa de Ilícitos.

The case illustrates the role of coordinated enforcement in addressing the illegal distribution of regulated consumer goods in the Dominican Republic, particularly products subject to health controls, labeling requirements and taxation.