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Illegal Logging Gang Dismantled in Los Ríos: Four Arrested

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In a successful operation, detectives from the Specialized Timber Theft Team (SUMA) of the Valdivia Criminal Investigation Brigade (BRICRIM), part of the Investigative Police (PDI), arrested four individuals in the act for the crime of timber theft. The police action took place in the 3 Chiflones area, Los Ríos Region, where the subjects were caught illegally logging and extracting Radiata Pine trees.

PDI officers intervened just as the criminals were operating a chainsaw to cut down mature trees and loading the timber onto two trucks, one of which was equipped with a self-loading crane. The swift police action led to the seizure of all machinery and timber, thus preventing the completion of the illegal activity on a property owned by the company Forestal Arauco.

The total confiscated items include two trucks, a chainsaw, an all-terrain vehicle, 19 logs, and 5 felled trees. The PDI estimates the value of the seized assets exceeds 51 million pesos. The detainees, all Chilean nationals aged 55, 37, 35, and 29, were transported by the PDI, noting that one of them has a record for similar crimes and weapons law violations.

Following instructions from the Public Ministry, the individuals involved were made available to the Valdivia Guarantee Court for the detention control hearing, where corresponding precautionary measures will be determined.

This operation reflects the authorities' commitment to combating the theft of natural resources and protecting the region's forest heritage. The PDI continues to work on investigating and preventing these types of crimes that severely affect the environment and the local economy.