Large Drug Ring Busted - 11 Government Officials Under Arrest
By Rafael Luna Noguera and José Otero for La Prensa - The arrest of two Panamanians suspected of being drug traffickers exposed a network of corruption with possible ramifications in the Public Ministry, the National Police, Customs, and other elements of state security, through which it moved at least a ton of cocaine in recent months. Official sources informed La Prensa that, after the discovery of the network, authorities have already arrested 19 people, of those 11 are government officials and eight are supposed drug traffickers, including the two bosses mentioned earlier. Panamanian authorities are coordinating with their counterparts in Costa Rica because the group has ties to at least two organized crime networks there. This criminal group is also tied to robberies of drugs and firearms from rival gangs, in addition to several homicides. It is suspected there are also local businessmen involved in this criminal network. Editor's Comment: Panama is awash in cocaine. There is a huge financial incentive with drug smuggling, and many people think the idea of making a million dollars or more on one shipment is worth the risk of potentially doing several years in prison. Public employees in the National Police, Customs, the National Air Service (SAN), National Maritime Service (SMN), the Police Department of Investigation and Information (DIIP) and the Judicial Technical Police (PTJ), as well as prosecutors and judges, don't make very much money and are susceptible to bribery. And the numbers are staggering - in this article they mentioned a ton of cocaine in passing like it was nothing. That ton of cocaine has a street value of more than $22.6 million dollars.
(Article Continues)
SE VINCULA A FUNCIONARIOS. AL DESCUBIERTO EJE
COLOMBIA-PANAMÁ-COSTA RICA.
Cae red de narcos
19 personas, entre éstas 11 empleados del Estado, fueron detenidas por las autoridades en las últimas horas.
Se sospecha que también hay empresarios locales relacionados con esta estructura criminal.
Rafael Luna Noguera
José Otero
panorama@prensa.com
La detención de dos supuestos narcotraficantes panameños puso al descubierto una red de corrupción con posibles ramificaciones en el Ministerio Público, la Policía Nacional, Dirección de Aduanas y otros estamentos de seguridad, a través de la cual se habría traficado por lo menos una tonelada de cocaína en los últimos meses.
Fuentes oficiales informaron a este diario que, tras el descubrimiento del grupo, las autoridades han detenido ya a 19 personas, entre éstas a 11 funcionarios públicos y ocho supuestos narcos, incluyendo a los dos líderes mencionados.
Las autoridades de Panamá contactaron a sus homólogas en Costa Rica, pues la organización tiene nexos con por lo menos dos bandas del crimen organizado en el vecino país.
Este grupo criminal también está vinculado a otros delitos como "tumbes" (robos) de droga y armas de fuego, además de varios homicidios.
Se sospecha que también hay empresarios locales en esta red delictiva.
