BRIEFS. judicial

Prosecutor warns of “criminal migration”

Drug cartels in Mexico have increased their presence in Panama in the past two years due to police repression that is taking place in that country, drug prosecutor José Abel Almengor said yesterday.

The prosecutor said that the police crack down in Mexico has led to a “criminal migration” to Panama. The phenomenon has been reflected in an increase in the number of arrests made of international drug traffickers in 2008 as compared to 2007. Last year, there was an increase of 56 percent in the number of Mexicans arrested in Panama on drug charges. Police also saw increases in the number of Panamanians (39 percent) and Colombians (21 percent) who were taken into custody.

Despite these increases, police actually saw a decrease in the amount of drug seizures during the year. Almengor said that, in 2008, 53.1 tons of drugs were seized, seven tons less than in 2007.

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