transportation

More scrutiny for small airstrips

The government plans to seek outside help to expand its ability to track small aircraft.

CARLOS LEMOS/LA PRENSA

An undocumented airstrip 992961

The Ministro de Gobierno y Justicia Daniel Delgado Diamante announced yesterday that the government will ask for international aid to fund measures to crack down on undocumented flights into the country.

Many of the flights, authorities and others believe, are made to ferry drugs from Colombia to Panama. Most of the drugs are then shipped to other countries.

The government will spend $11 million to repair helicopters and aircraft so that the Servicio Aéreo Nacional can fly more reconnaissance flights. Authorities will also be closing undocumented airstrips. La Prensa reported Sunday that there are at least 36 such facilities in remote areas of the country.

Delgado is also seeking international support to fund the installation of advanced radar that can track flights into and out of the country. The current radar can not track low-flying planes.

"Not only Panama would benefit from this, but also the international community," Delgado said. "Drug traffickers use this country as a springboard to reach the markets in North America and Europe."

The government is planning to merge the Servicio Aéreo Nacional with the Servicio Marítimo Nacional to create the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval. This is expected to solve the problem of lack of communication and coordination between the two agencies. According to Delgado, 50 percent of the murders in Panama are linked to trafficking in drugs and weapons.

"There is a large quantity of drugs being smuggled through the country, and it is causing a serious crime problem," Delgado said.

According to the La Prensa investigation, the country does not have many resources to track small planes that fly into the country. Smugglers may also be using undocumented flights to carry the proceeds from drug sales back to Colombia.