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TORONTO — Crew members of a Pivot Airlines held in the Dominican Republic since April landed in Toronto and were reunited with loved ones.
Executive director Eric Edmondson said late Thursday that the team had shown “incredible courage and endurance during the heartbreaking test” that saw them detained for about eight months.
He said it took a heavy toll on their lives and those of their families.
The team arrested in the Caribbean country on the fifth of April after two hundred kilograms of cocaine were found in the plane’s avionics bay and the Punta Cana police were informed.
The two pilots, two flight attendants and a part-time engineer were jailed and released on bail after surrendering their passports pending further investigation.
Following the discovery of cocaine, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and Unifor said their members had been arbitrarily detained, threatened and prosecuted despite following Transport Canada protocols and foreign laws.
“Their unwavering commitment to public protection and the rule of law is a testament to the professionalism of all Canadian crews,” said Mr. Edmondson.
“Pivot Airlines is incredibly grateful to everyone who advocated on behalf of our crew, CUPE, ALPA, Unifor, Senator David Wells and our government partners. “
The Dominican Republic’s National Drug Control Directorate said April 6 that it discovered “eight black packages” in the avionics bay of a Toronto-bound personal jet from Punta Cana International Airport.
He said the package contained 25 smaller packages containing cocaine.
Management said at the time that nine Canadians, one Dominican and one Indian were under investigation.
This Canadian Press report was first published on December 1, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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