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Panama Investigates Drug Disappearance
The Panamanian justice system continued delving
into the complicated investigation on Tuesday,
of important National Marine Service (SMN)
officials allegedly connected with drug
trafficking.
The top drug prosecutor arrested SMN Patrimonial
Goods chief Eduardo Morales to obtain details
relating to Perseus V, on which cocaine was
discovered in a January 2006 raid.
Ex SMN director Ricardo Traad and current
operations chief Edilberto Luna were also
arrested and charged with crimes against public
health and money laundering for the loss of a
ton of cocaine in that operation.
A ton of cocaine was confiscated during the
operation, but another ton, which crew members
said was hidden, was never found, nor were the
1,000 tons of scraps the ship was carrying.
Attorneys for ex director Traad denied the
charges against him and pointed out that US
officials checked the ship before handing it
over to Panamanian authorities.
In addition, the announcement of the missing ton
of drugs was made a year after the arrest of
Perseus V's captain.
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