HAVANA, March 30 - RAPSI. The police detained Russian-born Vadim Shirokov, the captain of the Carib Vision tanker, arrested in the Dominican Republic in February, Yuri Lezgintsev, counselor of the Russian embassy, said on Friday.

The news about the arrest caught Russia by surprise, no charges have been brought against Shirokov, the counselor said.

The local media earlier reported that the police allegedly detained 17 Russians during the operation held in assistance with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

The Russian embassy in Venezuela maintains that most detainees were released, some of them later returned to Moscow. Meanwhile, four crew members, including the captain, remained on the vessel as the court needed additional testimony from witnesses.

Lezgintsev assumed that Shirokov might be released soon.