In a coordinated law enforcement operation targeting unregulated commercial activity in the Dominican Republic capital, authorities have confiscated nearly 120,000 units of contraband goods from a commercial establishment owned by Chinese nationals in the Villa Consuelo neighborhood of Santo Domingo.
The operation, organized by the Illicit Activities Committee under the country’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MICM), was executed on the ground by the Specialized Corps for the Control of Fuels and Trade of Goods (Ceccom). Multiple government agencies joined the action to provide specialized support, including the General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (Digemaps), the General Directorate of Migration (DGM), and prosecutors from the Public Ministry.
Official records place the total volume of seized merchandise at 119,708 units, covering a range of products from alcoholic beverages and premium cigarettes to sexual stimulants and pharmaceutical goods. Preliminary assessments value the contraband at 19.48 million Dominican pesos, equal to roughly $340,000 U.S. dollars.
Investigating authorities outlined that none of the seized products carried the mandatory health registrations required for commercial sale in the country, and all exhibited significant irregularities in product labeling. These violations confirm the goods were being marketed through illegal channels, creating two key risks: first, untested and unregulated products pose direct safety hazards to consumers who purchase them; second, the unreported commercial activity allows operators to evade paying required taxes, depriving the Dominican government of legitimate revenue.
In remarks following the operation, MICM Minister Yayo Sanz Lovatón reaffirmed the national government’s commitment to continuing sweeping enforcement actions against commercial enterprises that operate outside the country’s trade, public health, and tax regulations. He specifically emphasized the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination that made this large-scale seizure possible, noting that collaborative operations will remain a core strategy for cracking down on illicit trade moving forward.
Beyond the contraband seizure, immigration officials also took five Haitian nationals into custody during the operation, all of whom were found to be residing and working in the country with irregular immigration status. The five individuals have since been transferred to DGM custody for processing in line with Dominican immigration law.
All confiscated merchandise has been placed under a formal, documented chain of custody to preserve legal integrity, and has been moved to Ceccom’s headquarters to undergo pending legal and administrative procedures as the investigation continues.