'Air Cocaine': Trial Begins for Frenchmen Charged With Smuggling Drugs From the Dominican Republic

Air cocaïne: les deux pilotes français vont être jugés

Four Frenchmen are standing trial in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, charged with attempting to smuggle 700 kilos of cocaine out of the country on a private jet. 

Dominican officials discovered the drugs, hidden in 26 suitcases, in Punta Cana airport on March 20, 2013. Since their arrest, the two pilots, one crew member, and one passenger have spent 15 months in jail. They were released in June 2014, but prohibited from leaving the country pending their trial.

The plane, a Dassault Falcon 50 corporate jet, belongs to French businessman Alain Afflelou, the owner of a chain of stores that specialize in optical services and eyewear. It was due to land in a small airport close to Saint-Tropez, in southern France.

According to Le Parisien, around 20 Dominican customs and police officers are also implicated in the case, which has been dubbed "Air Cocaine" by the French media.

The two pilots, former French military members Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos, have denied from the start having any knowledge of their illegal cargo. At the time of their arrest, the plane was under charter to SN-THS, a private jet rental company based in southeast France, with typical hourly rates of $6,250. 

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