First major drug  bust of the year nets 1,234 kilos

On Tuesday, January 16, The National Police seized 1,234 kilos of cocaine that was in a container in a port located in Rodman in the district of Arraiján.

The drugs were inside 27 cases apparently introduced after forcing the lock on the door of a container destined for Belgium.

The Drug Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the alleged involvement of personnel who work in the port.

A truck used to transport the drug and a cell phone that was found by the authorities when inspecting the container were also seized.

In 2022, the anti-drug authorities seized 126 tons of drugs in various operations nationwide. A high percentage of this cargo was located inside containers that arrive at Panamanian Atlantic and Pacific ports, most of which are destined for Europe and the United States.

Drug prosecutors have detected two criminal groups operating in the cities of Panama and Colón, which are dedicated to hiding drugs inside containers, after receiving cargo from Colombia.

In Tuesday’s operation “Interceptor III”, the police arrested four people members of a criminal network that sent drugs to Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom in boxes with electrical appliances.

The deputy commissioner, Matías Batista, said that among the detainees are three women and a man who would be members of a drug trafficking network, a group that has been under surveillance since 2021