Caught Near The Border Trying To Smuggle - Herbicide?
A man whose name is Tomas Vargas Gonzales, a Panamanian citizen, was detained in the area of San Isidro, Paso Canoa, at a checkpoint conducted by the State Border Service (SENAFRONT) because the place is near the border between Panama and Costa Rica. The incident took place when officers inspected a gold colored Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration 851704 being driven by the subject. Inside they found 250 packages with approximately 100 grams each, containing the herbicide INTTIFADA 70 WP brand, product made in Nicaragua. The product does not have entry records for the the Republic of Panama, so the citizen in question was turned over to the competent authorities, for investigation. This was announced by Frank Alexis Abrego, the Director General of the State Border Service. (Dia a Dia)
Editor's Comment: I can only imagine how much stuff gets smuggled across the border between Panama and Costa Rica on a daily basis. This is about the first time I've seen a story about any effort to shut it down. With regards to the stuff the was trying to smuggle in, it's a herbicide approved by the EPA in the United States for use on soybeans. I suspect they were just trying to bypass border controls to avoid payment of taxes or something like that.
