In Panama, ten children were rescued in a police operation who were in the hands of a sexual exploitation gang. The prosecutor’s office reports that three people have been arrested in Panama and Costa Rica.
“The victims were between the ages of 4 and 16, and the people associated with this case are close relatives of the minors,” Panama Attorney General Emeldo Marquez said.
The three arrested people took the children from the town of Baru, 525 kilometres southwest of Panama City, to the Costa Rican border, where they were sexually exploited.
A police action by the Panamanian authorities in Baru led to the dismantling of the network. Costa Rican authorities arrested two Panamanians and a Costa Rican in San Jorge and Laurel, two towns on the border. They risk 20 to 30 years in prison.