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Timber Theft Gang Dismantled in La Unión

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In an operation carried out by the Criminal Investigation Brigade (BICRIM) of the Valdivia Investigations Police (PDI), three individuals were arrested this Tuesday for their involvement in the illegal extraction of timber in the Loncotregua sector, commune of La Unión. Subprefect María Carolina Sandoval, head of the Valdivia BICRIM, reported that the group, composed of two men and one woman, was caught while cutting and extracting eucalyptus wood without proper authorization.

Detectives intercepted the suspects in the midst of the illicit activity, using chainsaws to saw and accumulate the wood, which was subsequently loaded into two pickup trucks, one of which was coupled to a trailer. During the arrest, one of the individuals was found carrying a .22 caliber blank revolver with unfired cartridges.

The value of the seized items, including the vehicles and the wood, is estimated at approximately 12 million Chilean pesos. The detainees, who have no prior criminal records, have been placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities. The Regional Prosecutor's Office of Los Ríos has initiated a formal investigation for the crime of timber theft and has ordered various investigative procedures to be carried out by the PDI. Furthermore, it has been arranged for those involved to be presented before the La Unión Guarantee Court, and the vehicles used in the illicit activity have been seized.

This case highlights the ongoing fight against the illegal exploitation of forest resources in the region, a crime that not only affects the local economy but also the environment and the sustainability of ecosystems.