Canadian airline seeks ‘safe return’ of detained aircrew after big cocaine bust in the Dominican Republic

Five aircrew of a small Canadian airline are among 11 people detained in the Caribbean after 200 bricks of cocaine were seized on a passenger jet that was chartered to fly to Toronto. Pivot Airlines, which intends to begin flying this summer out of Waterloo regional airport, says its aircrew found the drugs on board the jet last Tuesday and alerted authorities at the Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic. “The Pivot crew immediately reported it to local authorities in accordance with Transport Canada-approved policies and procedures, as well as local and international laws,” the airline said Sunday. The drugs were seized by a Dominican drug control agency, which has issued a press release. The agency took 11 people into custody, including nine Canadians, pending an investigation. The airline said: “Our primary concern right now is our crew’s safety, security, ethical and humane treatment. We are making every effort to support them during this difficult time, and ensure their safe return to Canada.” The plastic-wrapped cocaine was found in compartments on board the Bombardier-built passenger jet which is registered in Canada. The cocaine weighs 210 kilograms, the Dominican agency said, and had an estimated street value of $18m in 2019 based on the price per gram at that time. Pivot Airlines is based in Mississauga and says it is waiting for demand for business travel to pick up before it launches passenger flights from Waterloo Region to Ottawa and to Montreal.<br/>