Hannah Tetteh, Foreign Affairs Minister
Five Ghanaian citizens, presumably illegal migrants traveling to the United States of America, were found dead on the Panamanian-Colombian border over the weekend.
A farmer found their bodies washed up on the Turquesa River near Bajo Chiquito.
The deceased were allegedly part of a larger group of 35 people fleeing from three separate African and Asian countries, presumably in search of a better life in either Latin America or the United States, said the Panamanian government.
The immigrants are believed to have first arrived in Brazil on an airplane before migrating north. On the plane were 13 Ghanaians, 8 Somalis, and 14 Nepalis.
However, checks by Starrfmonline.com have revealed that the Ghanaians were part of the supporters who decided to seek asylum in Brazil after the 2014 World Cup.
Further checks also revealed that three of the Ghanaians are known by their nicknames as Juvi Yung Bacush, Prince Negro a son of a prominent chief in Kumasi and Toffic Shamo.
The causes of their death are still to be determined, as the autopsy has yet to be released.
Investigation is ongoing regarding whether the immigrants came as part of a larger network of international human trafficking.
Dozens of immigrants are arrested at the border every year in Colombia.
