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Moderator comment: stunning statistics about the quantity of cocaine being seized just in Panama.

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Panama is on pace for record drug seizures this year, and the president has blamed Colombia's cocaine boom

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama is on track to hit a record level of illegal narcotics seizures this year after authorities over the weekend seized about 2 metric tons of cocaine near the Central American country's border with Colombia, officials said on Monday.

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A national police member destroys drug packages before incinerating them in Panama City, July 23, 2015.REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

The total drug confiscations in full-year 2017 are expected to surpass the previous annual record of 72 metric tons confiscated last year, Security Minister Alexis Bethancourt told reporters, adding that the uptick is due to better coordination among local law enforcement agencies as well as help from "friendly countries."

The weekend drug bust was made in the border province of Darien on a boat from Colombia, the national border agency SENAFRONT said at a press conference.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela has previously complained that a peace deal between the Colombian government and the Marxist FARC rebel group has led to a spike in drug trafficking and violence in Panama.

Colombia's production of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, hit a low in 2012, around the time the country's government began peace talks with the FARC. Between 2013 and 2016, coca cultivation increased 134% — though that spike was driven by a variety of factors outside the peace process, which was concluded with a deal at the end of 2016.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno, writing by David Alire Garcia; editing by G Crosse)

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-panama-illegal-drug-seizures-set-to-hit-record-in-2017-officials-2017-11

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30 minutes ago, Brundageba said:

Consider how many thousands of acres of coca plant would be involved to produce this much refined narcotic.  That would be impossible to hide.  So that said....what's up?

You certainly are not trying to suggest that there might be collusion between the drug growers and the security forces are you? Heavens to mergatroid. I never have heard of such a thing. :(

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41 minutes ago, Brundageba said:

Consider how many thousands of acres of coca plant would be involved to produce this much refined narcotic.  That would be impossible to hide.  So that said....what's up?

...and this narcotic seized is what didn't get through.  I can only imagine the magnitude of the entire mass of it all. 

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Panama Strengthens Interdiction Capacities with Boston Whaler Boats

A donation of $1.8 million bolsters the National Air and Naval Service of Panama’s tactical response capacity in maritime interdiction.
Julieta Pelcastre/Diálogo | 7 December 2017
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The United States donated two Boston Whaler boats and tactical equipment to the National Air and Naval Service to enhance Panama's response capacities in the fight against drug trafficking. (Photo: National Air and Naval Service of Panama)

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) donated tactical equipment valued at $1.8 million to the National Air and Naval Service of Panama (SENAN, per its Spanish acronym). On August 30th, the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Security Cooperation in Panama delivered two Boston Whaler boats to SENAN at the Second Lieutenant Rigoberto Castillo Shipyard, on Perico island. The vessels will begin surveillance work before 2017 ends.

 

“The donation of naval and communications equipment will increase our operational capacity for real-time joint and combined missions,” Commander Belsio González, general director of SENAN, told Diálogo. “Having assets with interdiction capacities will provide greater effectiveness and response to narcotrafficking alerts.”

 

The boats are 37 feet long and with a fiberglass hull. They are equipped with radios, radars, gun mounts, restrooms, and cabins to rest. They were assigned to the naval fleet that comprises the Maritime Interdiction Network (RIM, per its Spanish acronym) on the Pacific coast, to strengthen the tactical response capacity of the Special Boat Unit. The donation includes thermal binoculars and wireless broadband radios, as well as tractors for towing.

 

“They will exceed the propulsion and speed capabilities of the go-fast [boats] used to transport illicit drugs,” said Commissioner Juan Pino Forero, director of SENAN's National Intelligence Directorate. The new vessels join the eight speedboats used for maritime interdiction that Panama acquired starting in 2014, as part of its Multi-year Equipment Plan to expand its naval fleet.

 

“The aid from the United States government represents a mitigating factor to prevent drugs from transiting or entering the maritime jurisdiction of Panama or that of other countries in the region,” Commissioner Pino said. “This would cause structures dedicated to illicit trafficking to change their routes on open waters, prevent the entry of illicit drugs, and decrease the violence and negative impacts to society.”

 

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Central America has become a drug corridor due to its geographical location between the principal cocaine producers to the south and the principal cocaine consumers to the north. The main routes drug traffickers use go through Panama and the Pacific Ocean. In its 2016 annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board highlights Panamanian actions to prevent and suppress illicit drug trafficking.

 

Joint combined capacities

 

2_PAN-_Boston_Whalers.jpg Commandos from the National Air and Naval Service train to prevent narcotrafficking networks from using Panamanian waters. (Photo: National Air and Naval Service of Panama)

“SENAN’s security strategy, created in coordination with other security institutions of the Public Forces of Panama, showed joint combined capacities to conduct different operations,” Commander González explained. “By understanding our capacities and limitations, the lessons we learned gave us the experience to conduct law enforcement operations, control, and interdiction of illicit maritime trafficking along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.”

 

SENAN developed strategies to neutralize security threats and strengthen RIM’s capacities. It enhanced its air and naval fleet with greater capacities and autonomy, and improved its positioning through the establishment of air naval bases in strategic locations. SENAN also strengthened the bonds of collaboration with local intelligence agencies and those of partner nations to standardize information. In 2017, SENAN units played a pivotal role in seizing more than 22 metric tons of illicit substances in 66 strategic operations.

 

“A comparative evaluation of criminal drug trafficking behavior between 2014 and 2015 indicates an increase in counternarcotics operations with positive results,” Commissioner Pino said. “In 2015, authorities seized more than 15 metric tons of drugs in 44 operations.”

 

Beyond borders

 

Panama and the United States work to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against drugs and organized crime. SOUTHCOM supports SENAN with maintenance and repair projects for air and naval assets. SOUTHCOM also trains, advises on planning and procedures, contributes to the implementation of exercises for the security and defense of the Panama Canal, and supports professional exchanges to strengthen relationships among regional agencies.

 

“SOUTHCOM is considered a key ally for joint combined efforts in operational capacities, and for the help it provides in support of assets, operational collaboration, and intelligence to combat the threat of drug trafficking,” Commissioner Pino said. “Southern Command is a strategic partner whose values we share for more than 100 years. We work together for the well-being of our nations, the region, and the world,” Vice Minister of Public Security Jonattan Del Rosario said.

 

In February 2002, through the Salas-Becker Treaty, the governments of Panama and the United States formalized their agreement to jointly patrol Panamanian waters and fly over its airspace to monitor and intercept suspicious aircraft and ships. “The treaty helped prevent the transit of drugs from Panamanian waters to countries in Central America, Mexico, and the United States,” Commissioner Pino said.

 

Under the administration of President Juan Carlos Varela, countries in the region signed more than 20 agreements in the area of security, according to a press release from the Ministry of Public Security. “Security is about the level of cooperation and trust among government leaders, the security sector, and international bodies to devise plans that go beyond our borders,” said Minister of Public Security Alexis Bethancourt.

 

https://dialogo-americas.com/en/articles/panama-strengthens-interdiction-capacities-boston-whaler-boats

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US officials stop vessel carrying cocaine off Panama coast

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-officials-stop-vessel-carrying-cocaine-off-panama-51742909

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Panama Seizes Record 84.6 Tons Of Drugs In 2017


Last update: 28/12/2017
 

PANAMA CITY, Dec 28 (BERNAMA-NNN-Xinhua) -- Panamanian authorities seized 84.6 tons of illicit drugs in 2017, setting a record in drug confiscation, government agencies said.

The Ministry of Public Security, National Aeronaval Service, the National Border Service and the Police Department unveiled the figure at a press conference on Wednesday, saying international cooperation was key to successfully combating drug trafficking.

A total of 72 tons of drugs had been impounded in 2016, according to the officials.

Deputy Police Director Alonso Vega said authorities also seized some 6 million U.S. dollars, along with 113 weapons, 56 boats and 253 vehicles, as well as 1,000 glass tanks that were used to manufacture methamphetamine, a type of artificially synthesized recreational drug.

In addition, 147 people were arrested on drug smuggling charges. Most smuggling operations were conducted on the sea, officials said.

-- BERNAMA-NNN-XINHUA
 

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1422869

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Anti-narco cops size $4,million and 60,000 drug packs

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NATIONAL POLICE Intelligence operations led to the seizure of over $4 million, that were used to finance drug trafficking and organized crime the force reported on its Twitter account.

The Police also reported that between 2016 and 2017, more than 60,000 packages of drugs (cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines) were confiscated in different areas of Panama.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/anti-narco-cops-size-4million-60000-drug-packs

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Mexico grabs Panama drug narco Fakir”

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Mexico grabs Panama drug narco “fakir”

A LEADING  drug trafficker, wanted in Panama for homicide, was arrested  by Mexican authorities Saturday, January 13, in coordination with Panamanian intelligence forces,

Germán Eliécer Chanis Aguilar, aka “Fakir”, a Panamanian who operated from Panama sending drugs to Central America.

He was arrested by federal agents of the migratory station of Tapachula, Chiapas, at the Ravi Hotel in Ciudad Hidalgo. The operation was carried out in coordination with the

General Directorate of Immigration Control and Verification following a red alert  issued by Interpol Panama for the crime of homicide.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mexico-grabs-panama-drugnarco-fakir

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Panama Starts 2018 with Heavy Blow to Narco Trafficking

Fifteen days into 2018, the Panamanian Public Forces seize more than a ton of cocaine.
Roberto López Dubois/Diálogo | 25 January 2018

 

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Just a few hours into 2018, units from the Panamanian Air and Naval Service intercepted a speedboat and seized 474 kilograms of cocaine. (Photo: Panamanian Air and Naval Service)

In just four operations in the first 15 days of 2018, the Panamanian Public Forces intercepted 1,102 kilograms of cocaine. Units from the Panamanian Air and Naval Service (SENAN, in Spanish) conducted operations on the Pacific coast of Panama.

As church bells still rang in the new year, SENAN interceptor boats patrolled Panama’s Pacific region. Through a maritime traffic control operation, naval units interdicted a speedboat along the southern shores of the central province of Veraguas.

In that first interdiction of 2018, SENAN seized 474 kilograms of cocaine. In the same operation, agents captured the boat's crew: two Colombian citizens.

According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General of Panama, “The seizure was made southwest of Coiba. The suspects were aboard an unnamed, 25-foot go-fast boat equipped with 40- and 75-horsepower Yamaha engines.” Both detainees were turned over to Panamanian law enforcement and received an eight-year prison sentence.

First seizures of the year

On January 12th, SENAN seized 224 kilograms of cocaine in two operations. SENAN carried out an operation in the province of Coclé, situated mid-peninsula, southwest of Panama City, where ground unit assets located a vehicle with three people inside. In the vehicle, authorities found 124 kilograms of drugs. That same day, in the waters of the western Pacific along the coast of the province of Veraguas, SENAN located and intercepted a sailboat carrying 100 kilograms of cocaine with two crew members of Panamanian nationality aboard.

Finally, on January 15th, in an operation southwest of the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama, a SENAN patrol carried out the maritime interdiction of a boat manned by three Colombians. As they tried to flee, the crew tossed 20 sacks into the sea, which officers recovered. The sacks contained 404 kilograms of cocaine.

Cracking down hard

PAN-Drug_Seizure2.jpeg In the first 15 days of 2018, the Panamanian Air and Naval Service seized more than a ton of cocaine along the country’s Pacific coast. (Photo: Panamanian Air and Naval Service)

“There has been a noticeable increase in activity by illegal networks seeking to penetrate our island territory and coastal areas to spread violence, which challenge and threaten our security,” Commissioner Belsio González, director general of SENAN, said. “SENAN will keep cracking down hard on them.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), one kilogram of cocaine is worth $55,000 on the international market. The first seizures of 2018 dealt an economic blow of more than $55 million to narcotrafficking networks.

In its 2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the U.S. Department of State highlights Panama as being an important bridge for illegal drug transit due to its location. Transnational narcotrafficking organizations move drugs along the Panamanian coast during their journey northward.

Strengthening the fleet

In 2017, the Panamanian Public Forces seized close to 85 tons of drugs, 17 tons more than in 2016. “Over the past year [2017], SENAN managed to seize 33.5 tons of illegal substances [of the 85 tons seized in total], which represents $1.3 million on the U.S. market,” Commissioner Gonzalez said. “One hundred forty-seven people were criminally processed, and 56 boats and 38 weapons linked to these unlawful acts were seized.”

Commissioner Gonzalez explained that SENAN will continue to step up patrols and incorporate new means of transport. In August 2017, U.S. Southern Command donated $1.8 million to SENAN, which included tactical equipment and two Boston Whaler boats to bolster the institution’s response capacity.

The force has 10 speedboats for maritime interdiction. SENAN’s air fleet also added two new helicopters and a plane on January 8th, 2018. The institution is also awaiting the arrival of a multipurpose logistics vessel and a U.S.-made Beechcraft King Air 350 in March, purchases approved by the Panamanian government in late October 2017.

“We're experiencing a historic moment in which our institution is being supplied with new equipment to enhance the operational capabilities of our air and naval units,” Commissioner González concluded. “[This equipment] will enable us to increase our effectiveness in monitoring and controlling our jurisdictional waters, primarily in our fight against organized crime devoted to narcotrafficking and other related activities, such as weapons smuggling and illegal immigration.”

 

https://dialogo-americas.com/en/articles/panama-starts-2018-heavy-blow-narcorafficking

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Drug / Narco Trafficking, Anti-Drug Operations

So if you get caught with drugs you get sentenced in a few weeks. That was a fast trial!

43 minutes ago, Moderator_02 said:

According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General of Panama, “The seizure was made southwest of Coiba. The suspects were aboard an unnamed, 25-foot go-fast boat equipped with 40- and 75-horsepower Yamaha engines.” Both detainees were turned over to Panamanian law enforcement and received an eight-year prison sentence.

Maybe it is a typo that is supposed to state they may be sentenced up to 8 years?

But if you murder someone you have to sit in jail for 8 years? Crazy!

Five get 42 years for killings in robbery shoot-out

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Ramón Martinelli facing drug charges

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Roman Martinelli Corro
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A  former CD deputy and cousin of ex-president  Ricardo Martinelli was arrested on Tuesday, February 6, in the San Francisco district of Panama City.

The Drug Prosecutor’s Office has requested a hearing of charges against Ramón Martinelli Corro who was with another man and a Mexican woman and carrying $25,000 when he was arrested while circulating on Via Cinquantenario.

The prosecution is also asking for also requests precautionary measures and the legalization of the arrest.

Martinelli Corro had previously been detained in Mexico for three years from 2009 to 2013 in a case of alleged money laundering. He was acquitted.

The ex-Parlacen deputy was accused of allegedly belonging to a network that was dedicated to laundering money from a cartel of drug traffickers of the Beltrán Leyva brothers, through triangulated operations between Mexico, Panama and Colombia.

After gaining his freedom Martinelli Corro denied that he was a narco mule and threatened to sue the people who accused him, reports La Prensa.

“I am not a mule of the drug trade and that was proven in the trial that was done to me. Now,  they will have to answer for their actions, “said Martinelli Corro in March 2013.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/ramon-martinelli-facing-drug-charges

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Police Deactivates Criminal Network in Panama

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=24420&SEO=police-deactivates-criminal-network-in-panama

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Drug tainted $20,000 cash for Bitcoins

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MARTINELLI CORRO, under escort before his release.
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A COUSIN of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli found with $20,000  tainted with traces of drugs, told police who stopped him in Panama’s San Francisco district that the money was to buy Bitcoins.

But on Monday, February 19, 2018, the Superior Court of Appeals granted Ramón Martinelli Corro and Jorge Luis Álvarez Cumming release from preventive detention and replaced it with country arrest.

The suspects, charged with money laundering have to report every Tuesday and Friday before the authorities and cannot leave the country.

They had to hand over their passports and cannot change their address.

The Drug Prosecutor’s Office requested that the provisional  detention  be continued

Drug Prosecutor, Javier Enrique Franco, said that five samples  tested positive for various drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/drug-tainted-20000-cash-bitcoins

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547 Europe-bound drug packs seized in  Colón

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A raid by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Drug-related Crimes of Colón and Guna Yala in conjunction with the Police Intelligence Directorate, Unit for Sensitive Investigations, on Thursday, March 29,  uncovered 547 packages of alleged illicit substances, stuffed in 17 suitcases in a  container bound for Europe from  one of the ports in the province of Colón.

Prosecutor Eduardo Rodríguez, in charge of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Drug-Related Crimes, is carrying out an  investigation to identify and prosecute those involved

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/547-europe-bound-drug-packs-seized-in-colon-2

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Weekend security ops net 1,512 drug packs

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TWO weekend operations by Panama’s Aeronaval and Border Police (Senan) led to the seizure of 1,512 drug packages.

The largest seizure occurred in the Bayano River, Chepo district, about 60 kilometers east of Panama City, when, on routine patrols, the aircraft units located 26 bundles with 1,294 packages of illicit substances yet to be determined, said the Ministry of Security (Minseg).

Senan  operations director, Commissioner Joe Laniado, said:  “ This is the largest drug seizure of 2018  by the Aeronaval Service.”

So far this year, according to Laniado, the Senan has seized 8.1 tons of drugs, , 15 percent more compared to the same period of 2017.

National Border Service (Senafront), Commissioner Erick Avila, said that packages in another seizure were thrown into the sea by several individuals who were traveling in a speedboat on the shores of the Mamitupu community in the Guna Yala region, on the Caribbean coast bordering Colombia.

The Senafront had the support of units of the of Colombian Navy (ANC), who gave chase to the small boat, whose crew entered Colombian territory, said Ávila.

Anti-drug prosecutor Xiomara Rodríguez said that the 1,512 drug packages will be subjected to field tests at the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Imelf), to determine the type of narcotics and their total weight.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/weekend-security-ops-net-1512-drug-packs

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Panamanian navy incorporates new logistics vessel to fight drug trafficking

Fri, 05/11/2018 - 10:35

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The National Aeronaval Service of Panama has added the logistics support vessel L-403 to its fleet, a unit that will reinforce the security strategy to combat drug trafficking, organized crime and delinquency, President Juan Carlos Varela said today at a ceremony in which he participated.

"This barge has the capacity to strengthen the maritime blockades that we have to do between the Punta Coco naval base and the Piña Base and the Jaqué barracks, Pacific routes that are used by drug traffickers," Varela said of the ship at who was named "President Manual Amador Guerrero”.

The ship, which was manufactured by the Dutch company Damen and moved from Vietnam to the Central American country, cost more than 16 million dollars, according to the information of the aeronautical entity.

The acquisition of 725 tons, has 57.27 meters of length, 12 of beam and 3.90 of draft and can move a maximum load of 590 tons and sail at a speed of 10 knots.

In addition, it has two containers with water purification systems, two centers for first aid that include operating rooms; it has an electric power generation unit and others for the storage of fuel.

The ship with capacity for more than 25 passengers, including the crew, will carry out specific missions, among them: transfer of personnel in island areas, cargo of equipment, food supplies, assistance and humanitarian support.

Panama seized at least 84.6 tons of drugs in 2017, mostly cocaine, a record number according to official data released in December of that year by the Minister of Public Security, Alexis Bethancourt.

So far this year, the National Aeronaval Service has seized 6,356 packages of illicit substances, according to official information.

http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panamanian-navy-incorporates-new-logistics-vessel-fight-drug-trafficking-6827

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Ecuador is interested in joining Panama, Costa Rica and the US in the fight against drugs

Wed, 05/09/2018 - 16:47

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Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and his Ecuadorian colleague, Lenin Moreno, met last Tuesday in the city of San José and showed their interest in Ecuador joining Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and the United States in a joint plan to fight against drug trafficking.

"Both leaders showed interest in Ecuador joining the Southern Triangle composed of Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and the United States, to join efforts in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking," said a statement released by the Panamanian Presidency.

"In a meeting with the President @Lenin Moreno from Ecuador, we presented the latest joint efforts undertaken by Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States in the fight against drug trafficking, and the importance of including Ecuador," Varela wrote on Twitter.

Varela and Moreno met on Tuesday in the Costa Rican capital as part of the inauguration of Carlos Alvarado as the new president of Costa Rica for the period 2018-2022.

"During the bilateral meeting with Ecuador, Moreno recognized Panama for the strategies that have been coordinated in terms of security, showing interest in working with the Panamanian government to adopt measures that can be applied in Ecuador," the Panamanian statement said.

He added that Varela and Moreno "agreed to continue talks between the two governments for the exclusion of both countries from discriminatory lists."

Panama published on March 9 a list of 20 jurisdictions in Latin America, Europe and Asia that apply discriminatory or restrictive measures against the Central American country, in which Ecuador is located.

The list is the first step in the assessment of reciprocal actions towards countries that discriminate against Panama, as established by Law 48 of October 26, 2016, which rules the process to apply retaliation measures, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said.

The vice president and chancellor of Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo, reported last April that "the deputy foreign minister of Ecuador" then visited the country "to take the necessary steps so that Panama can be removed from its list", without more precisions.

After the publication of the list, Greece and Uruguay have removed Panama from their discriminatory lists, to which Panama has responded by doing the same with its. (With information from EFE)

 

http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/ecuador-interested-joining-panama-costa-rica-and-us-fight-against-drugs-6809

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Panama, the US, Costa Rica and Colombia seize thousands of drug packages in raid

Mon, 05/14/2018 - 19:19

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Authorities in Panama, the United States, Costa Rica and Colombia seized 6,626 drug packages, almost 60 percent cocaine, and arrested 27 people, during a joint operation developed from April 1 to April 30 in Pacific and Caribbean waters.

The Ministry of Public Security of Panama reported today that during the so-called joint Operation FTC-4 Kraken II, 3,928 cocaine packs, 2,575 of marijuana and other illicit substances to be determined were seized.

"This operation was carried out from April 1 to April 30, 2018 in 14 coastal zones of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, where several drug trafficking organization (DTO) gangs that sent drugs to the northern triangle of Central America were dismantled" made up of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, according to an official statement.

In the operation, the Panamanian Armed Forces seized 3,371 packages, the Costa Rican National Coast Guard Service 1,509 packages; the National Armed Forces of Colombia (FAN) 1,019 packages, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States 727 packages of narcotics, said Panamanian official information.

He added that 27 alleged drug traffickers of different nationalities and 6 illegal migrants were detained, without further specification, also 5 speedboats, 2 boats, a fishing boat and three vehicles were confiscated.

The Panamanian authority recalled that in 2018, 84.6 tons of drugs were seized in the country and that between January 1 and May 14 of this year 18 tons of illicit substances have been seized.

 

http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panama-us-costa-rica-and-colombia-seize-thousands-drug-packages-raid-6845

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1,700 Drug packs Seized in Sunday Swoop

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Traffickers got a hefty setback on Sunday, June 24 when The National Police (PN), seized 1,700 packets from a vessel in the Bay of Panama.

The raid was coordinated through an intelligence operation with the Attorney General. Two people were captured and are under investigation

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/1700-drug-packs-seized-in-sunday-swoop

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Police seize over $2 million in dawn raid

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A police operation that started late  Thursday and ended at dawn on Friday, Aug 3 in the El Dorado district of Bethania led to the seizure of $2,160 480 from  an SUV and a taxi. Three people (two men and one woman) were arrested reports anti-drug prosecutor Eduardo De La Torre.
 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/police-seize-over-2-million-in-dawn-raid

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Electoral Tribunal pickup carrying drugs

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6 packets of drugs were found in an Electoral Tribunal (TE) vehicle in Darién, on Friday night, August 3 during a search operation carried out by the  Drug Prosecutor's Office and the National Police. The driver, an ET employee, and his brother were arrested. The Electoral Tribunal said it is collaborating with the Public Ministry. The event occurred in the community of Mogocénega, district of La Palma.
 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/electoral-tribunal-pickup-carrying-drugs

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On 8/4/2018 at 7:28 AM, Moderator_02 said:

 

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Suspects with over $2 million in cash jailed

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Two men found with over $2 million in cash  during a police  operation  on Friday, August 3 appeared  before a judge of guarantees on Saturday  and were placed in preventive detention

A woman who had also been arrested was ordered to report each week, prohibited from leaving the country and had her passport confiscated a ruling guided according to the judge because she has two under-age children.

The money was seized in an apartment and in two vehicles located in the Condado del Rey sector.

TheAnti  Drug Prosecutor’s Office has appealed the decision for the woman and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 9

The deputy director of the National Police said that a Prado truck was captured in El Dorado, Bethania, with more than $425,000 in cash.

After the inspection of the car, they learned of a building in Condado del Rey, where a gray Kia Rio car in the parking lot, contained a suitcase with an unspecified amount of cash.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/suspects-with-over-2-million-in-cash-jailed

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On 8/6/2018 at 8:05 AM, Moderator_02 said:

 

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Woman caught in $2 million raid behind bars

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A   34-year- old woman facing money laundering charges after being found with over $2 million in cash has had her country arrest revoked and she will be moved from home comfort to preventive detention.

On Thursday, August 9. The Superior Court of Appeals of Panama’s  First Judicial District unanimously rejected  the measure of weekly report and impediment to exit the country that had been decreed by a lower court.

The case is related to the seizure of the money, in several operations carried out in the Betania corregimiento.

The Court also decided to keep the provisional detention measure imposed on her husband, 41.

The Court considered that their relationship is strongly compromised after  $104,000  was found in their vehicle  in addition to the money found in their apartment where

A money counting  machine was found  and other elements connected to “this serious criminal act” ;

The judges shared the view of the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, represented by Delia Burgos, of the danger of flight of the woman .

Panamanian authorities reported last week the seizure of $2,160 480 dollars in the Condado del Rey sector of  Betania after making raids on three vehicles and one apartment.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/woman-caught-in-2-million-raid-behind-bars

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