Panama tax‑fraud ring dismantled; Paraguay police seize drugs exploited by minors

Panama’s Public Prosecutor’s Office carried out 23 search warrants in the provinces of Panamá, Panamá Oeste, Colón and Coclé as part of Operation Pandora. Authorities seized technology, documents and arrested 19 people allegedly involved in a scheme that manipulated the tax authority’s E‑Tax 2.0 platform to delete high‑value taxpayer credits and sell them to a domestic credit entity. The alleged fraud exceeds US$500,000 and involved current and former officials of the Directorate General of Revenue.

In Asunción, Paraguay, the National Police and the Public Ministry conducted six simultaneous raids in the Tablada Nueva neighborhood. The operation uncovered a micro‑drug‑trafficking network that recruited children as young as 12 to distribute crack and cocaine, exploiting their legal status as non‑responsible minors. Four adults were detained, drugs, cash and vehicles were seized, and the Ministry of Children and Adolescents was involved to assist the identified minors.