Eight officials from Tocumen International Airport and six former employees were arrested in the early hours of today, as they were allegedly smuggling drugs from the terminal. During a joint operation by the Judicial Investigation Directorate and the Public Ministry, a total of 60 search warrants were executed, successfully dismantling a network that swapped luggage tags—a method they called 'colillaje'—to ensure suitcases containing heavy cargo were routed to Europe. Preliminary information indicates the operation was conducted with inside help from airport staff familiar with cargo movements. The investigation suggests this scheme had been running for years, with a well-organized structure for moving, hiding, and dispatching the contraband.
