Punta Cana.- At the Punta Cana airport, technicians from the Plant Quarantine Inspection Service (AIPC) of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic intercepted a significant amount of fruits and vegetables in the luggage of a renowned Spanish artist. The seizure occurred upon the artist's arrival from the Bahamas on flight N768JJ, on the night of Wednesday, January 10.
The artist, owner of a villa in Punta Cana, was found carrying 42.16 kilograms of various products, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, tomatoes, beets, celery, beans, spinach, lettuce, mushrooms and arugula.
Engineer Rosa Lazala, director of Plant Health, highlighted the country's reinforced measures in surveillance and inspection of luggage and passengers. This is part of the Ministry of Agriculture's ongoing efforts to prevent the entry of animal or plant products that could potentially endanger national production.
Erick Montilla, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the importance of these controls. He mentioned the collaboration with OIRSA (International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health) to maintain a permanent alert at all Dominican entry points. This surveillance is part of the protocol after the detection of the Mediterranean fly species, which poses a threat to crops.
The incident underscores the strict regulations and measures in place to safeguard the agricultural integrity of the Dominican Republic from possible threats posed by the unauthorized importation of plant and animal products.