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Pivot Airlines says prosecutors have not provided evidence linking passengers and crew to cocaine
Britney Wojciech-Harrison is one of six passengers and five Pivot Airlines crew members who traveled to Toronto on a charter flight from Punta Cana on April 5. Photo by GoFundMe
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A Calgary photographer was detained for several days in the Dominican Republic after a flight crew found and reported a bag containing hundreds of pounds of cocaine hidden in the plane she was supposed to fly home.
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Britney Wojciech-Harrison is one of six passengers and five members of the Pivot Airlines crew who traveled to Toronto on a charter plane from Punta Cana on April 5. Before taking off, a mechanic with the flight crew informed the authorities in Canada and the Dominican Republic that he had found a bag hidden in the avionics compartment of the plane. Authorities later found that the bag and seven others on board contained more than 200 kilograms of cocaine worth about $ 25 million.
All 11 were jailed after the discovery, some along with accused drug traffickers in municipal cells. They were later released on $ 23,000 bail – a decision the Dominican prosecutor’s office is now challenging – but must remain in the country as local authorities continue their investigation, a task Pivot said could take up to a year.
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The airline has hired an international security firm to protect its passengers and staff while they remain in the Dominican Republic, as the crew has received credible death threats from unknown sources.
“She’ll either be trapped in a foreign country for a year or she’ll be trapped in a foreign country prison for a year, and that makes me sick to my stomach,” said Brandon Harrison, Wojciech Harrison’s cousin. Postmedia on Friday.
The plane in which the drugs were found. Photo by DIRECCIÓN NACIONAL DE CONTROL DE DROGAS / Twitter
He said Wojciech Harrison was on holiday in Punta Cana when she was arrested and detained by Dominican officials and the family received little information from the Canadian government about her situation.
“They can’t and won’t give us any details,” Harrison said. “We really don’t know what’s going on with Britney.”
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In an e-mail statement, Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the incident involving Pivot Airlines in the Dominican Republic, but declined to give any significant details about its response, saying: “Canadian officials are closely monitoring the situation. engaging with local authorities and providing consular assistance. Due to the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act, no additional information may be disclosed.
In a statement Friday, Pivot said the Canadian government must do more to bring passengers and crew home safely, especially since prosecutors have not provided evidence linking them to cocaine.
Eight black gymnastic bags, each containing 25 smaller packages of cocaine, a total of 200 packages, were located in the control rooms of the plane. Photo by DIRECCIÓN NACIONAL DE CONTROL DE DROGAS / Twitter
“While we are grateful for the support of the Government of Canada to improve the safety of our crew so far, the simple fact is that they have not done enough to bring our crew back to Canada safely,” Pivot said.
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“They miss their families. They fear for (their) life, as well as for their mental and physical well-being. And they want to go home. “
Harrison also believes the government should do more for his cousin and others trapped in the Dominican Republic next to it. He urged Canadians to contact a local member of parliament to get the government to take action.
“There are so many family members who can do it,” he said.
Wojciech-Harrison’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for legal aid, food and a flight to bring her home if possible.
– With files from Tom Blackwell, National Post
mrodriguez@postmedia.com
Twitter: @michaelrdrguez
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