The Ministry of Public Security of Panama recognized that the drugs seized in the country are not attributable to Cuba, thus dismantling another media attack against the island.
Through an official statement, the Ministry admits that the incident is not attributable to any state, and accepts that the seized drugs were presumably introduced into the container in Panamanian territory.
The statement adds that the competent Panamanian authorities have initiated an investigation to identify those responsible for the contamination of the container, noting that this “represents one of the main modalities used by drug trafficking networks at loading ports, which threatens all countries affected by the global production, trafficking and consumption of drugs.”
Meanwhile, the General Customs of the Republic reiterated that Cuba has a zero tolerance policy toward illegal drugs, and denounced that from May 18, several media outlets had manipulated “the news about the seizure in Puerto Cristobal, in Panama, of 1,517 drug packages (cocaine) in 46 sports bags, inside a container with sacks of charcoal exported from Cuba and with Turkey as the final destination.”
In addition, he offered precise details on the matter, and stressed: “We are in the presence of a modus operandi used internationally by drug traffickers, and in which we have a history of similar cases, as this is not the first time that attempts have been made, without success, to implicate our country in this type of incident.”
IN FIGURES:
In 2018, 2,438 kg of drugs were seized in Cuba:
- 2,071 kg marihuana
- 363 kg cocaine
- 3 kg cannabinoids
- 1 kg crack
- 0.15 kg hashish
- 77% were recovered after washing up on the country’s shores.
