SANTO DOMINGO.- The Drugs Control Agency announced the bust of an international network which used the country to send pseudo-ephedrine and other substances to Central America, and seized nearly one million tablets of the controlled substance, used by clandestine labs to make extasy and amphetamines.

DNCD president Rolando Rosado said three people are under arrest while two others are being sought in the investigation begun two months ago. Also seized were a 12 gauge shotgun and a 9 MM pistol.

He said the traffickers hid the drug in Churchill brand cigar boxes taken to the Las Americas International Airport freight terminal to ship aboard an Ameri-Jet airline flight, consigned to the company Surgikon Pharma Corporation.

The shipment was headed to Guatemala, the DNCD president said, and led to the arrest of the spouses Nicanor Rodriguez and Magalys Esther Rivas, now being held in the DNCD compoung, together with their employees Cesar Domingo Jiménez and Cari Garcia.

He said they used as a house in the Santo Domingo sector Bayona to store the 993,520 tablets.

Rosado added that a Mercedes Benz car, a Range Rover and a Ford SUVs were also seized, and that agents also found RD$50,000 and US$3,600.