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Two French Pilots in 'Air Cocaine' Case Flee Dominican Republic With Help From 'Friends'

Two pilots who faced 20-year prison sentences after Dominican authorities found 680 kilos of cocaine on their plane made a daring escape to France.
Pierre Longeray
Paris, FR
Photo by Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA

Two French pilots at the center of the notorious "Air Cocaine" case in the Dominican Republic have hightailed it back to France, fleeing 20-year prison sentences in a daring escape that is still partly shrouded in mystery.

According to French news channel BFM TV, pilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos were able to plan their getaway with the help of former intelligence officers and "friends" from their days in the French navy. The pair were reunited with their families over the weekend and are currently somewhere "in the Lyon region," attorney Jean Reihnart told French daily Le Figaro.

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The pilots were arrested on March 20, 2013 at Punta Cana airport, a tourist hub on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, after authorities discovered 680 kilos of cocaine hidden in 26 suitcases aboard their aircraft. The plane, a Dassault Falcon 50 corporate jet, was destined for a small airport near Saint-Tropez in southern France.

Fauret and Odos have maintained their innocence from the start, claiming they had no idea they were carrying illegal cargo. The case — dubbed "Air Cocaine" by the French media — also led to the arrests of crew member Alain Castany and passenger Nicolas Pisapia, both Frenchmen.

The pilots appeared with their attorneys on Tuesday at a press conference in Paris, where Reihnart claimed his clients hadn't technically escaped custody because "they weren't in jail." The pair had been banned from leaving the Dominican Republic pending their appeal, but Fauret told journalists he "came home to explain myself to the courts in my country."

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A spokesman for the French embassy in the Dominican Republic said on Tuesday it had "no official position for the moment" on the pilots absconding. Dominican public prosecutor Francisco Dominguez Brito said the country is preparing to issue international arrest warrants.

Fauret and Odos could still face charges in France, where authorities have arrested and questioned 10 people in connection with the case. Attorneys for the pilots insisted Tuesday that were motivated "not to flee from justice but to seek justice."

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"They were right to leave," attorney Éric Dupond-Moretti said, adding that anyone in their position would have done the same thing. He also noted that the pilots are "at the disposal of judicial authorities," suggesting they would appear in court if asked to do so.

The attorneys did not, however, attempt to clarify how exactly the two men managed to escape from the Dominican Republic. Two conflicting versions of the getaway have surfaced. Central to both stories is Aymeric Chauprade, a European deputy for France's far-right National Front (FN) and a staunch supporter of the pilots — who happened to be in the Dominican Republic last week.

Avec nos pilotes français innocents, ce lundi à — Aymeric Chauprade (@a_chauprade)October 21, 2015

"With our innocent French pilots on Monday in Santo Domingo. Determined to make it through."

According to BFM TV, the two pilots went sea with Chauprade and a former member of the French navy aboard a "small pleasure craft." After a few hours, they reportedly transferred from the motorboat onto a bigger boat, spending several days out at sea before reaching the French Caribbean territory of Saint Martin.

From there, the men were able to board a passenger jet to Paris, reportedly using passports provided by friends in the military. One of the attorneys for the pilots said Tuesday that the pair had traveled using their own identities.

Air France released a statement that said the two men did not travel aboard any of the company's planes — unless they used assumed identities.

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French conservative weekly Valeurs Actuelles published a different account of the daring escape, claiming that the two pilots were whisked away from the Dominican Republic by helicopter. According to the magazine, the pair were carried to an offshore location where they were picked up by a boat and taken to a French island in the Caribbean.

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Valeurs Actuelles published the copy of a September 12 invoice for a helicopter allegedly rented by the FN deputy Chauprade. VICE News could not immediately verify the authenticity of the invoice or reach Chauprade for comment on Tuesday.

In an interview broadcast on French radio RTL on Tuesday — prior to the publication of the invoice in Valeurs Actuelles — Chauprade admitted he was aware of the pilots' plan to leave the Dominican Republic. "I think it was obvious to them: they had to flee," he said. "I would be lying to you if I said I had not discussed it with them."

Chauprade declined to elaborate on his alleged role in the escape. "I won't answer that, I'll only say I'm glad they are reunited with their families and their freedom, " he said.

France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied rumors that the country's government facilitated the escape. "We have taken note of the return to France of two of our compatriots," a spokesperson said. "Their decision is an individual action and the State is in no way involved in it."

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While Fauret and Odos may be enjoying the comfort of their family somewhere near Lyon, their two countrymen sentenced in the case remain in the Dominican Republic.

Watch the VICE News documentary Cooking With Cocaine:

Julien Pinelli, the attorney for Pisapia, the arrested passenger, said he spoke with his client on Monday.

"He's extremely confused, he feels very isolated," Pinelli said. "The Dominican authorities may feel slighted. As a result, my client could face a judicial vengeance, which could translate into stricter judicial control or a renewed incarceration — since, now, the Dominican courts can say there is a proven flight risk."

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Pinelli called for "diplomatic protection" for his client, and insisted that that Pisapia had no idea the aircraft was being used to smuggle drugs. According to the attorney, Pisapia was arrested in the airport, not on board the plane, carrying only his hand luggage.

"The next step for my client is to present himself before the Dominican appeals court," he said. "But I hope that the situation will evolve in the meantime."

Karim Beylouni, the attorney for Castany, the arrested crew member, told French weekly Le Point that his client was "in a critical state after being hit by a motorcycle" 10 days ago in circumstances that remain unclear.

A man named Franck Colin — who allegedly footed the bill for the Air Cocaine flight and recruited Pisapia — is currently being detained in France for his involvement in the case. Colin has also maintained his innocence, claiming that all he did was put Pisapia in touch with a gang member from the central French town of Saint Etienne who police reportedly suspect masterminded the drug ring.

Follow Pierre Longeray onTwitter: @PLongeray