Narco ring busted in mayors office raid

DRUGS and Organized crime prosecutors seized over two tons of drugs, submachine guns and  18 luxury vehicles in a noon raid on the mayor’s office in La Villa de los Santos on Monday, Sep, 25.

The raid followed the Sunday arrest of Mayor  Eurycio ‘Pany’ Perez, the first deputy secretary general of the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) for alleged links to drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption of officials.

Eleven others were arrested, including two policemen one of officer rank.

Attorney General Kenia Porcell told a press conference  that  since October 21, 2016, a criminal organization  had been  tracked  and on Monday  2.1 tons of drugs (marijuana and cocaine) were seized, along  with $839,830, 18 luxury vehicles valued at $120,000 to $500,000, four vehicles with doubles bottom and two sub-machine guns).

She said that the head of the criminal organization, is Panamanian, and  from 1994 to 2017, has been linked to drug operations, money laundering armed robbery and other illicit activities.

The anti-drug he operation ‘El Gallero’had 61  police monitoring, 32 locations a, in addition to 15 surveillance and follow procedures.

PRD reaction
PRD president, Pedro Miguel González, confirmed that the investigation maintained by the MP is linked to the leadership of his party but disassociated the PRD from the individual performances of any member of the collective.

Meanwhile,  Luis Antonio Pérez,  son of the mayor said that his father was innocent and up to 7,30 pm on Monday, the politician had not had contact with his lawyers.

He told El Siglo that ‘Pany’ Perez suffers from high blood pressure and he did not know if he had been given his medication.