Santo Domingo.- National Police chief Rafael Guzmán announced Monday morning that during searches carried out during the Easter holidays 173 guns and 1,102 knives, machetes and daggers were seized, and 55 fugitives were arrested.

He said 1,858 vehicles and 11,807 motorcycles were also retained, actions which together with other measures led to an unprecedented reduction in the number of crimes.

He said more than 24,000 agents including traffic and tourism police patrolled streets, beaches and resorts, where they searched 43,491 people, 27,148 vehicles and 32,118 motorcycles. “We reinforced the preventive work with 1,200 agents who rendered good fruits in the matter of prevention"

Guzman added that Anti-noise Unit agents seized 21 speakers in night clubs centers and colmadones for excessive volume. “We’re talking about a zone such as Boca Chica, where dozens of cars stolen and/or vandalized by thieves were reported every Easter, and at present the number of denunciations has been zero. But so the public has an idea of the operations’ effectiveness on Holy Friday only one vehicle was reported stolen nationwide."  

The official also revealed that 20 people have been detained in connection with the investigation into the blazes in cane fields in the Eastern and southern regions.