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Among the suspects, is a
Costa Rican man surnamed
Murillo, who is an
employee of the Ministry
of Health, and classified
by police as one of the
"leaders of the gang."
/ Immigration Police
courtesy photo.
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Agents
give more information about
the gang
of human traffickers
arrested yesterday
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The total of suspects detained
in an immigrant trafficking
sweep Tuesday has reached 41,
l,aw enforcement reported
Wednesday.
Lead agencies involved were
Immigration Police and the
Prosecutor's Office Against
Human Trafficking with the
support of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement.
Immigration Police said it was
necessary to make 38 raids in
different parts of the country
to arrest the 41 suspects.
According to the prosecutor's
report, the gang had two centers
of operation, one in the
northern zone of the country
near the border with Nicaragua
and the other in the southern
area near the border with
Panamá.
After the arrests, the police in
the southern zone confiscated
two cars, cell phones, bank
payment vouchers, documents of
Cuban foreigners, Mexican
passports, computers, a gun, air
flight tickets and an ID from
Ecuador, among others.
In addition, cash was also
seized: 2 million in colones,
$872, 2,000 Colombian cordobas,
1,000 bolivars and 365 Cuban
pesos.
In other raids made in the
northern zone, the police
confiscated a weapon, computers,
14 passports from the Republic
of Cameroon, one passport from
Ghanaian, two cars, and lots of
documents. They said $11,350 and
half a million colones were
seized.
Among the suspects, is a Costa
Rican man surnamed Murillo, who
is an employee of the Ministry
of Health, and classified by
police as one of the leaders of
the gang as A.M. Costa Rica
reported Wednesday.
"This criminal organization is
dedicated to the illicit
trafficking of migrants, from
the southern zone to the
northern zone, trafficking
people from Africa, Asia, Cuba
and Haiti," said the Directorate
General of Immigration in a
statement. "Immigrants crossed
the country intending to reach
the United States"
According to the agents' report,
the investigation began in
January 2018, after they
received information about a
human trafficking network.
During the first operation, 10
suspects linked to the same gang
were arrested.
The gang charged sums of money
between $7,000 and up to
$20,000, depending on the
migrant's country of origin or
the profile of the foreign
person, said judicial agents in
its statement.
According to the investigation,
migrants arrived in Brazil,
Ecuador, Colombia, or Perú by
air. Then, the gang working in
Costa Rica, contacted them to
transport them into the country.
Once they entered the country
illegally, the migrants were
transferred to Liberia*
in the Province of Guanacaste by
bus to move them closer to the
northern border, said the
judicial agents.
When the migrants arrived in the
north, they were received by
other gang members and then
transferred to local houses
where they were kept until
leaving the country, agents
added.
The migrants were transported by
sea from Puerto Soley or El
Morro Beach in Costa Rica to
Honduras and by land to
Guatemala, where they were
handed over to other gang
members in those countries,
agents said.
Officers from the Fiscal Control
Police, Drug Control Police,
Border Police, Air Surveillance
Service, Ministry of Security
and the Judicial Investigation
Organization were all part of
this operation.
At the same time, Panamanian
authorities executed 21 raids in
Panamá City and in the province
of Chiriquí. Ten of the gang
members arrested had ties to the
gang located in Costa Rica,
police there said.
All suspects were taken to the
Public Ministry to be
interviewed by authorities. They
must remain in custody until a
judge determines if there are
any pre-trial measures against
them.
--------------------------
Are you aware of any human
trafficking in your community? We
would like to know your thoughts
on this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
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