Authorities Dent Organization Dedicated to Trafficking of Persons
The fight against the illegal traffic of persons continues with the arrival of a boat off the coast of Isla del Coco carrying 50 Peruvian and Ecuadorian nationals.

Last week immigration authorities, working with the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), Fuerza Pública and the Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, detained seven people who are part of a network of dedicated to smuggling Orientals into Costa Rica and had offered the director of Migración, Mario Zamora, a bribe.

Immigration authorities played along with the traffickers, accepting a bribe for one of the two men detained and being held at the immigration holding centre.

Director Zamora was offered us$5.000 for each visa given to orientals brought to Costa Rica by the group, who also demanded exclusivity from the director in that he would not deal with any other group dedicated to the same activity.

During a number of raids last week, authorities believe that they have captured the head of the group, a woman identified by her last name Tan, who was travelling with an employee of the Asemblea Legislativa. In a separate action on Sunday, authorities detained a man identified by his last name Moreno and believed to be the head of the "Dragón Rojo" (Red Dragon) organization.

The man is accused in Peru for international trafficking of persons and in Costa Rica would host the illegals while the organization obtained passports for them to travel North America. Police believe false Spanish passports were being used.

The workings of the organization came to light when authorities one of the traffickers and an employee of Peru's Ministerio Público, identified by his last name Del Risco Manzanares, who was in Costa Rica with his wife and headed for canada.

Costa Rican officials learned of the foreigners presence in Costa Rica following the questioning of three Peruvian nationals detained at the Juan Santamaría (San José) International airport, travelling with false passports. Del Risco Manzanares told authorities of his contact with Moreno who had given him shelter and paid him us$6.500 for the trip to Canada.

Costa Rican authorities have been helped by the Intepol Peru office.