September 15, 2023
The Organization of American States (OAS), through the Department against Transnational Organized Crime (DDOT) and with the support of the Canadian government, presented in Panama City the Guide for the Investigation of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants linked to Transnational Organized Crime in the Republic of Panama.
This guide is part of the PICAD Project, developed to contribute to strengthening the capacity of seven member states (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago) to prevent and investigate organized crime related to the exploitation of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, particularly human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, and increase knowledge about the risks they face.
The guide contains guidelines and action protocols and is articulated as a support tool for the authorities of Panama, to facilitate their work of detection, investigation and litigation of these types of crimes. “This publication details the regulations in force in Panama regarding human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, as well as the connection of this phenomenon with organized crime. Without forgetting the importance of prevention and ensuring an approach based on human rights and a gender perspective, the guide provides tools to combat these serious crimes, addressing in detail the criminal types, the best strategies and investigation techniques, in a context of interagency cooperation,” explains DDOT director Gastón Schulmeister.
The development of the guide has been led by DDOT, in collaboration with an inter-institutional working group composed of experts from Panamanian entities with jurisdiction in investigation and litigation, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security of Panama.