An increase of 96% showed the modality of labor trafficking in Panama in 2020-2021, being a constant variable of greater cases of trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation by 2022 of 62% reported the director of the Office Institutional Against Trafficking in Persons of the Ministry of Public Security, Dayra Campos.
“In the year 2022, there was a higher percentage of minor victims, all of them Panamanian (39%), which reflected an increase, compared to previous years, which was 10%,” Campos said.
The official indicated that after the results of Operation Omega10, in which a criminal organization was dismantled and 29 people were rescued, among them minors, the modality of forced begging was reflected for the first time in Panama.
Campos said that Operation Omega10 began thanks to a citizen complaint through the Crime Stopper tool.
“It means that citizens are more alert and attentive to situations that are not normal and report these cases that deal a hard blow to these criminal organizations dedicated to human trafficking,” Campos said.
During 2022, the Panamanian authorities carried out the operations “Luz de Esperanza”, “Galaxy” and “Marfil”, where more than 20 cases of human trafficking were attended.
