Pivot Airlines crew seeking justice after 'cocaine cargo' detainment
It’s a story that just keeps getting bigger; a story that raises troubling questions about who knew what, and when.
W5 producer Eric Szeto and I have been digging deeper into the Pivot Airlines ordeal, now that the crew is safely back in Canada. They were detained under virtual house arrest in the Dominican Republic for eight months, after finding and reporting 210 kilograms of cocaine on their 50-seat jet.
Gathering for the first time since their release in December of 2022, the crew is demanding answers from the Canadian government about why they were left to languish for so long on the tropical island for "doing their jobs."
They thought they would be hailed as heroes. Instead, Dominican authorities accused them of being part of an international crime syndicate, even though they were never questioned and never charged.
Canada's Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra has promised an investigation. The RCMP cryptically says, "The RCMP does not confirm, deny, or release information pertaining to active investigations."
And yet neither transport officials nor the Mounties have interviewed the crew, nor have they shared details on the status of those possible probes.
Pilot Rob DiVenanzo tells W5, "I’ve gone through enough. I’m going to fight until we find out why this happened. I’m not going away."
His co-pilot, Aatif Safdar, is equally angered by the silence of Canadian authorities. "They don’t want to investigate. They don’t want to talk about it."
Four members of the Pivot Airlines crew reunite for the first time since their release from the Dominican Republic last December (W5)
Their ordeal began almost exactly one year ago.
On March 31, 2022, the five-person crew departed Toronto’s Pearson Airport for what was supposed to be a four-day charter.
Their nightmare began as they were preparing to leave Punta Cana airport in the Dominican Republic. A warning light led to the discovery of the drugs in the avionics bay of the plane.
W5’s initial investigation, Cocaine Cargo, uncovered details about the shady criminal history of a number of passengers on the flight. We revealed that the company that hired the charter didn’t exist. We exposed the man who paid for the flights: a small-time Edmonton real estate consultant named Vick Mander.
Former RCMP investigator Gary Clement has pored over the research W5 has compiled and says he can’t understand why the RCMP is being so silent about a conspiracy to smuggle hundreds of kilos of cocaine into Canada.
"This is not a complicated case. What surprised me is there wasn’t a number of RCMP investigators jumping all over this," he told W5. Among the crimes that he believes should be investigated: conspiracy to import cocaine, money laundering and possession of proceeds of crime.
The RCMP has not questioned the alleged money-man, Vick Mander, and there is no evidence that the passengers have been questioned, either.
The crew says their ordeal should be a red flag for any Canadian who travels to the tourist destination.
"We know that the Dominican Republic is a drug-source country. We need to really step up our efforts and be sure that Canadians that are flying in there are safe," Pilot DiVenanzo told W5.
"Airplanes continue to fly there. Canadians continue to vacation there. The responsibility has to be on the Canadian government to be sure that those Canadians are as safe as they can be."
File photo: Captain Robert Di Venanzo (left) was stranded in the Dominican Republic for eight months, from the spring until December of 2022.
W5 has exposed evidence of corruption at the Punta Cana Airport, specifically that an official airport truck was involved in transporting the duffle bags of drugs onto the plane and that surveillance video was edited to remove that evidence.
The crew, who pleaded for months for the Canadian government to get them home, felt abandoned while in the DR and say they continue to be abandoned now that they are home.
"Absolute silence still today," said frustrated flight attendant Alex Roznov.
About the Canadian government, co-pilot Aatif Safdar says: "They don’t want to investigate. They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to give answers."
W5’s new investigation reveals exclusive details about who was behind the smuggling conspiracy and what the RCMP knew about the plan, and when. Watch Cocaine Cargo II Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Do you have any tips on this story? Please contact Avery Haines or Eric Szeto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Local Spotlight
DonAir force takes over at Oilers playoff games
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
'I'm committed': Oilers fan skips haircuts for 10 years waiting for Stanley Cup win
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
'Once is too many times': Education assistants facing rising violence in classrooms
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
What is capital gains tax? How is it going to affect the economy and the younger generations?
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”