Ontario man recounts ordeal after being caught in Dominican Republic on ‘bogus’ drug prices

[ad_1] An Ontario man who was arrested within the Dominican Republic over accusations of smuggling medicine is recounting his 71-day ordeal within the Caribbean nation.

David Bennett, 57, returned residence to Burlington on Might 16 after weeks of intense lobbying by the Canadian authorities officers and others, led by his spouse Jane Wilcox, noticed his prices withdrawn.

The couple had spent every week at a resort with two associates and had been on their manner residence on March 7 when Bennett was denied entry on the automated customs gate on the Punta Cana airport and brought to an interrogation room.

The 2 had been proven a photograph of a bag they did not acknowledge, with a barely totally different identify on it: Davi Bennett as a substitute of David R. Bennett — the identify on Bennett's bag and all his journey paperwork. Wilcox informed CBC Information in March that the costs had been "bogus."

RCMP stated this week it continues to research baggage tag switching schemes, and it has made arrests associated to this explicit case.

'It was actually scary' Now again in Canada, Bennett informed CBC Hamilton on Friday about his arrest.

Following the interrogation on the airport, Bennett stated officers took him, one other female and male couple, who had been dealing with comparable accusations, to a pickup truck within the airport's car parking zone.

"[They] loaded us within the pickup truck and drove us at speeds in extra of 130 kilometres an hour, roughly half hour outdoors of the airport to a compound," Bennett stated.

"We had been behind this automobile with no seatbelts on. It was actually scary."

Bennett stated there have been between 15 to twenty folks, some in uniform, on the compound the place they had been taken.

<img loading="lazy" alt="Jane Wilcox and David Bennett" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=Resize%3D300 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=Resize%3D460 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=Resize%3D620 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=Resize%3D780 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=Resize%3D1180 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7498193.1743454057!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/jane-wilcox-and-david-bennett.jpeg?im=" style="aspect-ratio:1.0707803992740472" data-cy="image-img"/> Jane Wilcox and David Bennett spent every week at a resort within the Dominican Republic with two associates and had been on their manner residence on March 7 when Bennett was denied entry on the automated customs gate on the Punta Cana airport. (Submitted by Michelle Magee) "That is after they introduced a translator — a girl that might translate a bit of bit in English to us — and that is after they informed us the seriousness of what was in entrance of us."

After a bit of greater than an hour on the location, Bennett stated they had been whisked again to the airport the place they had been saved behind a sizzling and stuffy pickup for roughly two hours earlier than being taken to a jail facility.

'Pitch black' and no room transfer in jail Bennett stated he was positioned in a "actually small" cell with about 12 to fifteen different males and extra folks had been added all through the night time.

"It was pitch black. We actually could not see the faces of anybody coming in. We simply noticed physique photographs of individuals coming in and we had no clue what we had been coping with," he stated.

"I actually sat within the nook for the entire time as a result of it was standing room solely. There was no room to put down, there was no room to essentially transfer."

Bennett stated he tried to remain optimistic, telling himself the entire thing can be sorted out the next morning, and he would simply must "robust it out" that night time.

"My purpose was to go to sleep and simply type of neglect about it and never give it some thought."

However the ordeal lasted for much longer than one night time.

Bennett was charged with trafficking medicine. He was taken to court docket on March 8 and launched on $5,000 bail. He couldn't go away the Dominican Republic due to a journey ban and his passport was held by native authorities.

The costs towards Bennett had been withdrawn round mid-April, however the journey ban remained in place.

"I moved 9 instances in 71 days [and] I had this black cloud over my head the entire time I used to be there," he stated.

'Touchdown again in Toronto was superb' In the meantime, Wilcox labored across the clock, first to have the costs towards her husband dropped after which to carry him residence.

On Might 15, round 8 p.m. ET, the household obtained the information they spent greater than 10 agonizing weeks urgent for.

World Affairs Canada suggested the household by electronic mail the journey ban had formally been lifted and they had been simply ready for the paperwork the following morning, Bennett stated.

He stated his spouse "booked a flight inside 20 minutes" for him to journey residence to Canada the next afternoon.

"Touchdown again in Toronto was superb. We had an incredible method coming in over Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It was a stupendous night, so I had simply an unbelievable view of the realm and, you realize, simply touching down on the airport was simply an incredible feeling," Bennett stated.

He stated he missed a variety of issues, together with birthdays and anniversaries, whereas being caught within the Dominican Republic — however he is pleased to be again residence.

'Undertaking Nourish Dave' Bennett stated getting again to his spouse, household and associates has been a "saviour." He is additionally glad to be in his personal mattress once more.

"I wasn't sleeping in any respect very properly down there.... I used to be drained for the primary handful of days [upon return] and I nonetheless really feel some residual sort of tiredness all through the day. We now have an incredible buddy community that supported us by means of this, so it has been fairly the week and I am simply so grateful to be residence," he stated.

Wilcox can be relieved the ordeal is over.

"I am on Undertaking Nourish Dave proper now. He misplaced some weight whereas he was away, so I've obtained the zest for cooking and nourishing, and we're simply absorbing each minute we are able to," Wilcox informed CBC Information.

<img loading="lazy" alt="David R. Bennett is shown in this undated handout photo. " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=Resize%3D300 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=Resize%3D460 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=Resize%3D620 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=Resize%3D780 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=Resize%3D1180 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7525192.1748156081!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/cda-dominican-detainee-20250501.jpg?im=" style="aspect-ratio:1.5324675324675325" data-cy="image-img"/> David R. Bennett is proven on this undated handout photograph. He says he missed a variety of issues, together with birthdays and anniversaries, whereas being caught within the Dominican Republic however is pleased to be again residence. (Jane Wilcox) Wilcox stated Canadians deserve higher remedy from the nation's embassies and World Affairs Canada.

"There have been wires crossed. We obtained disinformation. They did not reply our questions. Folks did not appear to know what was occurring. It was extraordinarily irritating," she stated.

CBC Information has reached out to World Affairs Canada for remark.

The RCMP stated its Toronto airport detachment members proceed to actively examine circumstances involving incidents of bags tag switching in makes an attempt to smuggle unlawful medicine and contraband out of Canada.

Along with the latest arrests, RCMP say it's "additionally co-operating with any and all international police companions to offer proof which will help any recordsdata associated to those investigations."

For Wilcox, the "silver lining" within the expertise is the neighborhood assist they obtained by means of all of it.

Wilcox stated it price the household near $85,000 to battle the costs. They had been in a position to increase $55,000 and are "tremendous grateful" for all the neighborhood assist.

"We have begun to speak about how we will help different people who find themselves in traumatic conditions, and are victims of crimes.... We will discover that as we proceed to heal right here ourselves."

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