UN enlists Panama to stop container contraband trade

THE United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has enlisted Panama to help stop shipping illicit and counterfeit goods through sea ports, according to the UN website.

Improving container security in Panama`s ports is a priority since more than 11 million containers pass through the Panama Canal every year, it said.


"Most of the world`s trade is carried out in shipping containers, meaning that containers are also the main delivery methods for illicit goods," said UNODC deputy director Francis Maertens on his visit to Balboa.


Less than two per cent of the 420 million shipping containers used globally every year are inspected, creating major opportunities for smugglers to conceal illicit cargo, according to UNODC. He said narcotics from South American bound for North America was a key concern.


The programme includes the launch by UNODC of the Centre of Excellence on Maritime Security in Panama City and the opening of a regional office for Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, with financial support from the Panamanian government, said the report.


The centre will help identify threats to maritime security and serve as a resource of expertise, training, data collection and analysis. UNODC`s new operational hub in Panama City will also allow the organisation to provide more effective advisory services to countries in the region.