News

Thief Caught in the Act of Cutting Eucalyptus Trees Inside Private Property in Popoen

Sponsors

A man was arrested after being caught cutting eucalyptus trees inside a private forestry estate in the Popoen area, commune of San Juan de la Costa.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Brigade (Bicrim) of the Osorno Prefecture were carrying out a task for the Río Negro Public Prosecutor's Office in the rural sector of the province, precisely involving the same criminal, when they caught him in the act of illegal logging.

As a result, the initial reason for the trip to Popoen took a backseat, forcing them to report the flagrant crime to the Local Prosecutor's Office of Osorno.

READY FOR SALE

Officers counted 16 felled trees and approximately 20 meters of processed firewood, ready to be loaded and delivered to a buyer who had already made a deal with the "woodcutter."

"Police officers caught the subject cutting down and chopping several Eucalyptus nitens trees, which he later processed into firewood," detailed Commissioner Mario Bornes of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Osorno Investigative Police.

The officer stated that the arrest was made without major complications, also fulfilling the investigation order issued by the Río Negro Local Prosecutor's Office.

After reporting the details to the Public Prosecutor's Office, instructions were given for the accused to be brought before the court for formal charges.

Additionally, his cell phone and the tools used in the forestry crime were confiscated, including a chainsaw with an 18-inch blade.

Timber theft is common in the southern region of the country, in forestry estates owned by companies and private individuals, where victims have discovered strangers entering exotic and native forests to cut wood.

Some have even brought trucks to quickly remove the wood and sell the product in the community at a profitable price for their own gain.

The Public Prosecutor's Office indicated that there are several cases of this nature in the area, prompting an investigation to determine whether it is an organized gang behind these crimes or isolated incidents affecting forestry properties.

The National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) has also received reports of illegal logging, some of which involve native forests.

The details have been handed over to Carabineros for the respective complaint.

Forestry entrepreneurs in the province, when contacted by this outlet, stated that they use trail cameras to detect and identify the individuals or groups entering properties to cut trees and steal wood.

"Police officers caught the subject cutting down and chopping several Eucalyptus nitens trees, which he later processed into firewood."

Source:El Austral de Osorno