By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Prosecutor's office of district of Osa*, in the southern of the province of Puntarenas, announced that the judge of the Criminal Court ordered three months of pre-trial prison against four men suspected of international drug trafficking.

According to the judicial agent's report, the suspects are two Colombians surnamed Gutierrez-Navarrete and Amy-Cardona. In addition to two Costa Ricans surnamed Sánchez-Pérez and Zamora-Alvarado.

The two Colombians and the Costa Rican, Sánchez-Pérez were arrested on Saturday when they were found in an abandoned property in Palmar Sur*. The other Costa Rican was detained the next day after he was found hiding in the brush of the same property.

According to the judicial agents' report, the case began on Saturday, when Civil Aviation officials received a report from Colombian authorities about a light aircraft that was entering the Costa Rican air zone.

"The light aircraft, plate number HK4567, had left Colombia illegally and apparently was transporting drugs," said judicial agents in its report.

In response to the alert, Drug Control Police officers went to the place where the light aircraft was expected to have landed. Then, officials reported seeing the aircraft flying at a low altitude, at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, in the same area of Palmar Sur.

"When the officers arrived, the suspects tried to evade the authorities," said the police in its report.

According to a report by judicial agents, the officers tracked the suspects, who were digging a hole that would be used to hide an aircraft similar to the one seen flying over the area hours before.

During the second encounter, police officers managed to arrest three of the suspects, and hours later, at dawn on Sunday, the fourth suspect was arrested.

According to the report from the judicial agents, the suspects surnamed Amy and Gutierrez were traveling in the light aircraft, but, before arriving, the small plane had some type of mechanical damage. The situation forced the pilot to make a hard landing that ended in a crash.

"Apparently, the other suspects would have made a pit to bury the drugs, however, in the face of what happened, they tried to hide the entire aircraft in that pit," said prosecutor's office in its report.

"Chemical tests on the detainees and the car came back positive for traces of drugs," judicial agents said.

This is the second case this week of authorities finding a light aircraft crashed with links to drug trafficking.

On Tuesday, as A.M. Costa Rica previously reported, the Ministry of Security informed the death of six men, who were apparently linked to an accident of a light aircraft in the area of Nandayure* in the province of Guanacaste.


According to the Ministry's report, on Sunday night, at 10:32, police officers saw a light aircraft flying very close to the ground, near the mountainous area in Nadayure.

A few minutes later, officers reported watching the light aircraft crash in the mountains.

Then, police officers with the support of officers of the National Coast Guard Service made a review of the area and found the wreckage, where they also found the burned bodies of two men, who are believed to be the pilot and copilot.

According to the police report, during an inspection in the area, officers saw several men inside a 4x4 car, not far from the light aircraft crash area.

"The men tried to flee when they saw the police," said the Ministry in its statement." So the officers began following the suspects.

"At that time, the suspects began shooting at the police officers," said the Ministry in its report. "The police used their weapons to repel the shots."

The search took place over three kilometers until the police found the car, which had overturned near to the Juna de León River.

After a review of the vehicle, the police found "four dead men" who appeared to have died as a result of the accident.

The police also reported having seen two other men fleeing through the tall weeds in the mountainous area.

According to the Ministry, officers of the Air Surveillance Service and the National Coast Guard Service inspected the area in search of the other two suspects.

Also, agents of the Judicial Investigation Organization, transported the bodies of the six men, to the forensic facilities know as Medicatura Forense in Heredia*, where specialists will work to identify them.

Agents also continue  to analyze the debris from the crash scene to determine the flight route and the reason the aircraft was flying in the area.


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What should the government do to prevent the transportation of drugs into the country?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com

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