Crime

Drug seizures increase

A good year for police was a bad year for drug smugglers as authorities seized twice the amount of narcotics in 2007 as they did in 2006.

Police confiscated 54 tons of drugs last year, which was 27 tons more than were seized in 2006.

That information was contained in a report presented yesterday by the country's drug prosecutors José Abel Almengor and Edwin Guardia.

Authorities seized 37 tons of drugs in land-based operations and 19 tons from boats. Almost all the ocean seizures, and more than a third of the total amount confiscated for the year, came in March 2007 when 19 tons of cocaine were found aboard a ship headed for the United States.

In that operation, police found 765 bales of cocaine on board the 330-foot motor vessel "Gatún" off the Panamanian Pacific coast. Police charged 14 people with drug trafficking in connection with that case.

Drug seizures have increased dramtically in the past three years. Authorities seized 27 tons of narcotics in 2006 and 32 tons in 2005. In 2004 and 2003, police seized 4.5 tons and 9.1 tons respectively.

Police also confiscated $2.4 million in cash during drug operations last year, $20 million in property and real estate and froze bank accounts of suspected drug dealers totaling $10 million.

There were 1,359 people charged with drug-related crimes in 2007. During the year, the prosecutors reported gaining 734 convictions versus just 76 acquittals.