Police smash local drug trafficking net

PANAMA. Organized crime is spreading its tentacles in Panama and drug dealers are finding more ingenious way to ship its products all over the world.

Last weekend, the National Police through the Sensitive Investigation Unit managed to crush an international organization of drug dealers, whose main business was to send illegal substances to Europe and the United States.

The police discovered that the net formed by three Panamanians and four Colombians were using books to send cocaine, amphetamine and other drugs to different countries.

Operation code named America, started on February 26, when police units entered an apartment in San Francisco.

The authorities arrested Panamanian Harmodio Augusto Hernandez and Colombians Jhon Anderson Mejia and Milton Montoya.

In the same apartment the police seized 53 tablets, presumed to be amphetamine.

They also found two tablets wrapped in silver foil that could have been cocaine.

They were inside a double compartment chocolate box.

There were several other articles with false bottoms, as well as credit cards, special delivery paper work and a car.

The following day the police raided another apartment in Parque Lefevre, there the authorities arrested Colombian Jose Alejandro Arbelaez and Panamanian Roderick Oscar Atencio.

They were found possessing cocaine and multiple items with double bottoms. Carlos Alberto Arbelaez and Carlos Enrique Velasco were arrested in other apartments in Parque Lefevre.

The National Police have found that drug dealers frequently use the Panamanian mail service to send drugs to Europe, especially Spain.

Acting on tips, canine units checked the different post offices for drugs, but more and more organizations are springing up across the country.

In another incident the body of Darrel Ramos Hassan aka Dundu, was found on grassland in the area of La Represa, Colon province. He had been shot 22 times.

Witnesses said that they were walking in the early hours of the morning and heard the gunshots, but were afraid to investigate.

According to the police, Ramos was involved in several crimes and it is possible that a disgruntled associate was responsible for his murder.

Experts believe that the increase of violence in Panama has to do with drug trafficking organizations moving to the country, after Colombia and Mexico are tightened their grip on organized crimes.

Recently the United States has said that there is a real danger that drug dealers move to Central America to continue their illicit contraband to that country and Europe.

One of the main problems that the local police faces is the lack of equipment, personnel and training, while the drug dealers have the best weapons money can buy and intelligence acquire with money and fear, that give them an unfair advantage over the cash starved judicial system.