The Specialized Prosecutor for Drug-Related Crimes managed to charge 12 of the 14 people apprehended in phase 2 of the “Fisher” operation for the crime of money laundering, of which two were sentenced to 60 and 48 months in prison.
In the Guarantees hearing, in which the Public Ministry was represented by the Prosecutor Joseph Diaz, the Judge of Guarantees Elkis Martínez, validated the sentence agreements presented by the Prosecutor’s Office after the two defendants accepted responsibility for the facts. The judge also established, as an accessory penalty, the payment of a fine of 25,000 balboas for NJ Shung, sentenced to 48 months in prison, and for Jorge Cárdenas, sentenced to 60 months, to carry out community work for another 60 months once the sentence has been served. of pressure.
At the hearing, the arrests of the 14 people were legalized, charges were filed for 12 people, charges were not admitted for two others because the Guarantees judge considered that they were not linked to the crime being committed. investigates for being owners of a company where high-end vehicles that were bought by members of the criminal group were acquired. The judge argued that it is the commercial activity to which the defendants were engaged, she sees it as an administrative fault because the company did not establish the relevant protocols to avoid being the object of money laundering.
As precautionary measures, periodic notification and prohibition of leaving the country for 8 people and home deposit for another two were applied.
Phase 2 of the “Fisher” operation was carried out on January 26, 2022, in the provinces of Panama and Colón in search of alleged figureheads within the criminal organization.
The Prosecutor’s Office is focused in this phase on the confiscation of assets acquired as a result of illicit activities.
As a result of the Fisher operation in its first phase, 52 people are currently in provisional detention and one conviction of the 57 apprehended.
