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Criminal Gang Dismantled in Arauco: 11 Members Sentenced to Prison for Timber Theft and Money Laundering
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- Sentences of up to 5 years under an abbreviated procedure mark a milestone in the fight against organized crime in the Province of Arauco.
Chilean justice dealt a heavy blow to organized crime in the Province of Arauco, sentencing 11 members of a criminal organization to prison terms ranging from two to five years. The group's crimes included timber theft, tax violations, and money laundering. The Guarantee Court of Cañete issued the sentence through an abbreviated procedure, opting for intensive supervised release for the convicted individuals.
The Regional Prosecutor's Office of Bío Bío reported that the seized assets, valued at approximately $400 million, include vehicles, trucks, machinery, cash, and properties acquired with criminal proceeds. Marcela Barahona, prosecutor from the High Complexity Unit, explained that the organization was involved in receiving and stealing timber, later "laundering" the illicit products through tax crimes to conceal the origin of the profits.
The Presidential Delegate of the Biobío Region, Daniela Dresdner, highlighted the importance of the State of Exception in detecting and prosecuting these crimes, emphasizing the coordination between the Prosecutor's Office, the Investigative Police (PDI), the armed forces, and Carabineros. Dresdner stressed that the sentences indicate authorities are on the right path, not only pursuing the crimes themselves but also the economic structure supporting them.
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