12 Persons Provisionally Detained by the DIJ After a Court Hearing Regarding the ‘Operation Pandora’ Network at the DGI

Operation Pandora is a big deal in Panama.  Know the difference between the DIJ and the DGI. The DGI in Panama stands for the Dirección General de Ingresos (General Directorate of Revenue), which is the principal tax authority of the country. Operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the DGI is responsible for collecting national taxes, administering the country’s territorial tax system, and enforcing tax compliance. The DGI handles a variety of responsibilities related to national taxes, including:

• Corporate and Personal Income Taxes: Processing national taxes on Panamanian-sourced income.

• Tax Administration: Managing taxpayer registrations and the e-Tax 2.0 Portal.

• International Tax Agreements: Handling FATCA compliance and exchanging international tax information.

You can manage many of your tax obligations online or find regional locations and contacts through the DGI Panamá Website.  For Expats you can register as a taxpayer with the DGI, and file an annual income tax return.   In Panama, it is easy to locate the nearest provincial DGI office in your area.

A judge ordered the provisional detention of 12 people by the DIJ and house arrest for two others, at the request of the First Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, within the investigation for Operation Pandora.  The decision was made at the conclusion of a hearing that lasted three consecutive days. During the hearing, the arrest of the 16 people captured during Operation Pandora, carried out in recent days, was also declared legal. Among the 16 under investigation are 11 DGI officials, eight of whom are women.

The DIJ in Panama stands for the Dirección de Investigación Judicial (Directorate of Judicial Investigation). It is the primary criminal investigation and judicial police force, men and women in the country, working directly under the National Police of Panama and alongside the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) to investigate crimes and gather forensic evidence.  The DIJ is responsible for handling several key public and legal functions:

• Criminal Investigations: Investigating everything from homicides and cybercrime to corruption and organized crime, including the DGI investigation known as Operation Pandora.

• Document Services: Issuing the official police record or background check certificate (Récord Policivo) which is frequently needed for employment and immigration purposes.

• Interpol Representation: Serving as the liaison and representative for Interpol within Panama.

Vehicle Verification: Inspecting vehicle registries and identification numbers. The headquarters is located in Ancón, Panama City (across from the Mercado de Abastos), with other major regional offices located in areas like San Miguelito and La Chorrera.