No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeCosta Rica detains 27 more undocumented Nepalese migrants

Costa Rica detains 27 more undocumented Nepalese migrants

Following the detention last Friday of nine undocumented migrants on the central Pacific coast, Costa Rica’s National Police carried out an additional operation Monday in the community of Paso Canoas, along the country’s border with Panama. There, police detained 27 additional undocumented migrants, all from Nepal.

National Police Regional Director José Domingo Cruz said an anonymous tip led police to local rental cabinas, where the group was staying.

Last Friday, police discovered seven undocumented migrants from Nepal and two from Bangladesh during a routine stop at a checkpoint near the central Pacific beach town of Jacó. The nine migrants were transported in an SUV and likely en route to Nicaragua. The driver was arrested on human smuggling charges.

Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa said he believes human smugglers are using Costa Rica as a route north from Panama to Nicaragua. The migrants’ final destination likely is the United States, he said.

“We have reports that these migrants usually arrive by sea to Ecuador and then continue their trips by land, mainly to the U.S. We are tenaciously working to determine who is responsible for these local [smuggling] operations,” Gamboa said.

The Nepalese men were taken to a local health clinic for evaluation and then transferred to immigration authorities, the Public Security Ministry stated in a press release.

Trending Now

Paris Louvre Robbery Targets Apollo Gallery Crown Jewels

Robbers wielding power tools scaled a furniture hoist outside the Louvre to make off with priceless jewelry from the world-renowned museum on Sunday, taking...

Costa Rica OIJ Arrests Human Trafficking Ring Exploiting Minors

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) dismantled a gang dedicated to human trafficking for the sexual exploitation of minors after carrying out 19 simultaneous raids...

Costa Rica Arrests Suspects Wanted by U.S. for Cocaine Smuggling

Authorities in Costa Rica arrested four men from the southern part of the country, all wanted by the United States for extradition on charges...

Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Experiences Moderate Eruption

Guanacaste residents woke up to activity from Rincón de la Vieja volcano yesterday morning. The volcano produced a moderate phreatic eruption at 6:08 a.m....

Costa Rica Shaken by a Quake with No Injuries Reported

A strong earthquake struck near Quepos late last night, sending tremors across parts of our country and even into our neighbor Panama. The quake,...

What Camera Traps Miss Chasing Jaguars in Costa Rica

Five years ago, I began my journey using camera traps in wildlife monitoring projects in Costa Rica. A few years after that I began...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica