A 1.5 year-long operation by the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) investigating the biggest international human trafficking ring in the History of Costa Rica lead to seven simultaneous arrests throughout the country yesterday.

The operation called “Operacion Peaje” or Operation Toll booth uncovered details of a network that was responsible for trafficking about 30 people per week or 2,600 a year into the United States from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.

Bolivians would be brought into Costa Rica through the international airport as visas are not required, while the others would enter Panama by sea, then Costa Rica by land. They would then be sent north to Liberia or La Cruz before crossing into Nicaragua for the next portion of the journey.

The series of arrests were made in Tibas, San Francisco de Dos Rios, Corredores in Puntarenas, Liberia and La Cruz in Guanacaste.

Each person would pay about $7,000 for the journey, and $1,700 of that went to the Costa Rican group.

If found guilty, those arrested could receive jail sentences from two to seven years.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on December 12th, 2007