crime

Prosecutor says activities of drug lords are well known

LA PRENSA

seized: Prosecutors say that intercepted drug shipments, such as the one above, are proof that they are aware of the activities of drug cartels operating in the country. 1099829

Local authorities said that they are well aware of the presence of foreign drug traffickers in the country, and point to numerous seizures of large shipments as proof that they are containing such activity.

José Abel Almengor, the country's top drug prosecutor, said recent media reports about Colombian and Mexican drug cartels operating within Panama came as no surprise to him.

He indicated that such activity has been taking place for the past two decades, and that authorities have had varying levels of success in dealing with the problem.

Almengor said that, recently, authorities have been successful in disrupting drug trafficking, pointing to the fact that 37.5 tons of drugs have been confiscated so far this year. In recent years, more than 100 tons of drugs have been seized.

Authorities estimate that 80 percent of the prisoners in Panama are being detained on drug-related charges.

The prosecutor also agreed with the media's assertions that drug traffickers are fleeing Mexico and Colombia because of increased police activity against them in both countries.

However, he said that these migrations are monitored, which is why seizures and arrests are being made.

“Nobody can say that Panama has been seized by drug traffickers,” Almengor said. “This is a serious situation, but the media should not exaggerate this issue.”

Reports from El Tiempo newspaper in Bogota and La Prensa both recently documented the flight of drug lords from that country to Panama. The Colombian newspaper detailed a meeting that took place at a Panama City casino last April that included members of the Norte del Valle cartel of Colombia and gang members from Sinaloa, Mexico. That meeting apparently detailed how large drug shipments would be made on Panama's Pacific coast.

Almengor made his comments about the recent media reports while briefing reporters about the seizure yesterday of 469 kilos of cocaine from a florist on Avenida Justo Arosemena. The drugs were apparently hidden in a shipment of roses.

He said that two people, a Panamanian and a Colombian, were arrested in connection with that seizure, and that the operation highlighted his point about the awareness of drug-related activities.