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Prison for Leader of Illegal Logging Network: Justice Takes Action in Arauco

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The justice system dealt a forceful blow to organized crime in the province of Arauco, convicting the leader of a criminal network dedicated to the illegal extraction and sale of timber.

The court imposed a sentence of 5 years and one day of effective imprisonment, in addition to ordering the confiscation of assets valued at approximately $3.2 billion, in an effort to dismantle the organization's illicit wealth.

The investigation, carried out by the High Complexity Unit of the Regional Prosecutor's Office of Bío Bío, revealed that the gang operated between 2019 and 2022, illegally extracting and commercializing timber.

Prosecutor Marcela Barahona highlighted the importance of the ruling, noting that the penalties imposed on the leader include offenses of receiving stolen timber, illicit association, and money laundering, with effective prison sentences.

In addition to the ringleader, five other individuals were tried and sentenced to various penalties for their participation in the criminal network. The sentence also includes fines and accessory penalties, reflecting the severity of the crimes committed.

The seized assets, which include real estate, vehicles, cash, and documents representing money, are a testament to the scope of the gang's illegal operations. Prosecutor Barahona emphasized that the recovery of these assets is a significant step in the fight against organized crime and the protection of the region's natural resources.

The Legal Deputy Director of the SII (Internal Revenue Service), Marcelo Freyhoffer, stated that this conviction is especially relevant for its exemplary effect: "the ruling determined significant penalties and ordered the confiscation of properties and cash from an association intended to commercialize timber that others obtained from properties in conflict, that is, it was the link between the perpetrators of the timber theft and those who bought it, committing tax crimes."

The ruling, issued by the Guarantee Court of Concepción following an abbreviated procedure, sets a precedent in the prosecution of environmental crimes and the dismantling of illicit networks in Chile.