The head detective of Interpol in Venezuela has been charged with smuggling nearly 770lbs of cocaine to the Dominican Republic.

Chief Detective Eliecer Garcia, 42, reportedly coordinated the large shipment of cocaine from north-west Venezuela on behalf of a local businessman last week.

Prosecutors believe that Garcia used his senior position at Interpol to ensure that the plane carrying the Class A drugs could leave Venezuela without being checked.

Bad cop: Eliecer Garcia, chief detective at Venezuela's Interpol, allegedly coordinated this 769lbs shipment of cocaine, found hidden in luggage by police on the Dominican Republic last week

Garcia allegedly co-ordinated the 769lbs (349kg) cocaine shipment to the Dominican Republic, which was then seized by border police at La Romana International Airport on March 24.

Venezuelan businessman Pablo Cardenas, 45, has been accused of financing the haul, after which Garcia organised to have it sent from the city of Barquisimeto, Lara State, on a Cessna aircraft.

Dominican authorities found the drugs inside the Cessna plane, stashed away in three suitcases and two large packages.

Police business: Prosecutors believe that Garcia used position as Interpol Chief Detective to ensure that the planeload of cocaine could leave Venezuela without being checked properly

Garcia and Cardenas were arrested as part of a dozen raids in Caracas, Margarita, Barquisimeto, the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office said in a statement on Saturday.

Cardenas and Garcia have been arrested along with national guard sergeants Darwin Sanoja Rodriguez, 27, Rolan Torrealba Silva, 22, Franklin Perez Peña, 50, Onesimus Romero Hernandez, 34, and Roberto Sivira Fernandez, 25.

Also arrested are three security agents at Barquisimeto's airport; Jose Hernandez Rodriguez, 62, Nelson Peraza Sira, 32, and Eduard Lucena Rivero, 30.