ANTO DOMINGO: A court in the Dominican Republic has ordered three French pilots detained in a cocaine smuggling case despite claims they knew nothing of the drugs in their plane.
Judge Edwin Rijo ruled there was enough evidence to hold them for at least a year while the case is investigated. They were ordered held yesterday along with nearly 30 Dominican law enforcement officials suspected of involvement.
A lawyer for two pilots said the men were only hired to fly the Paris-bound plane and didn't know about the 26 suitcases of cocaine found on board in a March 20 raid at the Punta Cana airport.
The pilots were identified as Pascal Jean Fauret, Bruno Armand Ados and Alain Castagny. Also ordered detained was the only passenger on board, French citizen Nicolas Pisapia.
Three French pilots held in Dominican drug case - The Times of India