Buying a cell phone, an auto part, or another item of illicit origin can become a crime punishable by up to five years in prison in Panama, even when the buyer did not participate in the original robbery or theft.
In the district of San Miguelito, authorities have recorded 17 complaints for receiving stolen goods during 2026, three of which ended in convictions.
The other 14 case files remain under investigation by the Public Ministry, which has warned about the sale of stolen merchandise at prices considerably below its real value.
The practice mainly affects people who acquire goods without verifying their origin, especially through informal transactions and offers circulated on the internet.
Article 392 of the Panamanian Penal Code establishes prison sentences of two to five years for those who acquire, receive, sell, or conceal goods that they knew or presumed came from a crime.
The penalty includes a fine equivalent to three times the value of the object, regardless of whether the person responsible participated in its theft.
The legislation provides for a harsher penalty when the articles belong to the State or are intended to provide public services. Under those circumstances, the sentence increases to a range of four to six years in prison, in addition to the financial consequences provided for this criminal conduct, according to the provisions of the Penal Code.
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Cell phones are among the items involved in investigations for receiving stolen goods in San Miguelito, where authorities warn about their sale at prices below market value. (Illustrative image Infobae)
Buying a cell phone, a car part, or another item of illicit origin can become a crime punishable by up to five years in prison in Panama, even when the buyer did not participate in the original robbery or theft. In the district of San Miguelito, authorities have recorded 17 complaints for receiving stolen goods during 2026, three of which ended in convictions. The other 14 case files remain under investigation by the Public Ministry, which has warned about the sale of stolen merchandise at prices considerably lower than its real value. The practice mainly affects people who acquire goods without verifying their origin, especially through informal transactions and offers spread over the internet.
Offers published from anonymous profiles and without documentation proving the origin of the products can constitute warning signs for those who buy items online. (Illustrative image Infobae)
Article 392 of the Panamanian Penal Code establishes prison sentences of two to five years for those who acquire, receive, sell, or conceal goods that they knew or presumed came from a crime. The penalty includes a fine equivalent to three times the value of the object, regardless of whether the person responsible participated in its theft. The legislation contemplates a higher penalty when the items belong to the State or are intended to provide public services. Under those circumstances, the sentence increases to a range of four to six years in prison, in addition to the economic consequences provided for this criminal conduct, according to the provisions of the Penal Code.
Among the items that appear most frequently in these investigations are cell phones and car parts, generally linked to cases of aggravated robbery. The products are later offered to third parties at prices that can be suspiciously low, a circumstance that should alert buyers to their possible origin.
Car parts from robberies and thefts are part of the merchandise investigated by Panamanian authorities when they are sold to third parties. (Illustrative image Infobae)
The Prosecutor's Office warns that the absence of invoices, ownership documents, or proof of purchase constitutes another risk signal. It also recommends paying attention to offers made from anonymous profiles, clandestine transactions, and payments requested to third-party bank accounts, without a verifiable explanation. Transactions can be carried out with cash, bank transfers, or online banking services, which does not prevent their investigation. On the contrary, electronic movements can provide information about the people involved and allow the reconstruction of the transactions used to sell merchandise related to criminal acts.
The Public Ministry maintains that the purchase and sale of stolen items contributes to sustaining this illegal market, by making it easier for those responsible to obtain economic benefits. This activity harms both private citizens and businesses and entrepreneurs, while generating new opportunities to place stolen products. In these proceedings, the Prosecutor's Office points out that mediation or other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are not applicable, as this is conduct prosecuted by the State. The investigation seeks to establish whether the buyer knew or should have presumed that the items offered had a criminal origin.
Panama recorded 13,016 complaints for theft between January and September 2026, while San Miguelito accumulated 760 cases during that same period. (Illustrative image Infobae)
National statistics allow for gauging the scale of the crimes that can feed this market. Between January and September 2026, Panama recorded 13,016 complaints for theft, an increase of approximately 2% compared to the same period in 2025. Of that total, 760 cases corresponded to the district of San Miguelito, according to official records. In that same period, complaints for robbery reached 3,808 cases nationwide, a reduction of 4% compared to the previous year. San Miguelito accumulated 411 complaints, of which 323 corresponded to aggravated robbery and 88 to simple robbery, according to Public Ministry statistics. The figures also show that aggravated thefts totaled 5,953 complaints throughout the country, while simple thefts reached 5,644. In San Miguelito, authorities counted 492 cases of aggravated theft and 60 complaints related to the theft of motor vehicles, during the first nine months.
With the year-end shopping season approaching, authorities recommend verifying the origin of items before paying, requesting receipts, and being wary of excessively cheap offers. These precautions help reduce the risk of acquiring illicit merchandise and avoid criminal consequences from seemingly advantageous transactions.