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Former SIP Chief, an Active Officer, and Two RML Members: This is the Criminal Structure Brought Down in Arauco
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A former chief of the Police Investigations Section (SIP) of Carabineros, an active officer, and two members linked to the Mapuche Lavkenche Resistance (RML). That is part of the criminal network arrested this Thursday for the crime of illicit association in the province of Arauco.
This is an operational group led by Celso Fonseca Rivas —alias "El Conejo"— who was arrested in December 2022 as part of a group dedicated to stealing cars in the area. It was precisely from that investigation —sources from BBCL Investiga point out— that the full structure of the gang began to come to light.
One of the most prominent detainees is Luis Berna Toledo, the former chief of the Police Investigations Section (SIP) of Carabineros in Curanilahue. A key position for the uniformed police apparatus: this is precisely one of the specialized units of the olive-green institution dedicated to investigating criminal networks like the one uncovered today.
"DIRECT CONVERSATIONS"
According to information gathered by this outlet, Berna —currently no longer with Carabineros— recorded phone conversations with "El Conejo" before his arrest. In short, he provided intelligence work so the organization could carry out attacks with impunity. Sources consulted state that coordination between the two was done directly or through a relative of Berna, also charged in the case: Jairo Aravena Peña.
The former officer was internally investigated by Carabineros while holding the rank of non-commissioned officer. Despite this, "no crime could be proven," police sources say.
The second detainee linked to the uniformed officers is the active-duty officer, Darwin Aaron Carrillo Rodríguez. According to records reviewed by this outlet, the officer was also under internal investigation within the institution since 2022. This even led to his transfer to the Cachapoal Prefecture in the O'Higgins region after being declared PSOI (Person Under Institutional Observation).
The former officer from the Fourth Police Station of Curanilahue was internally investigated for providing privileged information to gangs dedicated to timber theft and other crimes operating in the province of Arauco.
ARMED COVERAGE
Although the number of attacks carried out by this group remains unknown, what is known —according to sources consulted by this outlet— is that these attacks were carried out to cover up their illegal logging operations in the area. "To carry out their business," the same sources note.
To this end, "El Conejo" formed alliances with two members linked to the Mapuche Lavkenche Resistance (RML): Hernán Miguel Coñuel Sotomayor and Víctor Ignacio Maldonado Millaur.
The first is accused of providing armed coverage for the gang's illegal logging operations, tasks he carried out alongside Javier Fonseca Carrasco. Maldonado Millaur, meanwhile, was focused on processing stolen timber and other loot.
The rest of the accused were dedicated to being the operational arms of the forest product theft—that is, the logging and transportation of stolen goods.
Source:www.biobiochile.cl
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