Ex-Boxing Champ Detained in Panama; Cocaine Suspected


News from Panama / Monday, March 14th, 2016

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Police in Panama say former boxing champion Celestino Caballero has been arrested with what authorities suspect is about 10 kilograms of cocaine.

National Police director Omar Pinzon says the 39-year-old retired boxer was detained in a car Thursday on his way to his native province of Colon, 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Panama City.

An official with the prosecutors’ office says police found 10 packets in the vehicle, each with about a kilogram of suspected cocaine. The official was not authorized to talk to the press and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Anti-drug authorities planned to test the substance.

Caballero rose from poverty to hold the IBF and WBA super bantamweight titles. He retired in 2014 with a record of 37 victories and six defeats.