Panama gangs move to central provinces and Chiriqui. Many Panama gangs have transferred their criminal activities to the central provinces and Chiriqui, resulting in higher crime rates in those regions says the Public Ministry anti-gang prosecutor Nahaniel Murgas. He said that in Panama around 150 gangs operate, dedicated to the crimes of murder, drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and kidnapping. Most of the bands operate in the cities of Panama and Colon.

The number of the criminal groups has dropped since 2015, when 204 were operating, he said.

In  2018 they carried out 16 anti-gang operations, charged 351 and 152 of them were convicted by the courts.