Appeal filed to send five defendants to prison for timber theft on Army land in Puerto Varas

The Guarantee Court of Puerto Varas denied the pretrial detention requested against the defendants for systematic illegal timber extraction from the fiscal property "Río Pescado," belonging to the Chilean Army.

In a hearing declared as reserved, prosecutor Daniel Alvarado, from the Criminal Analysis and Investigative Focus Unit (Sacfi) of Los Lagos, formally charged the five involved parties, according to the criminal complaint filed by Conaf; however, the court dismissed the charge of criminal association.

The court deemed the crimes of timber theft, property usurpation, and clandestine commerce as proven. The judicial ruling ordered total house arrest and a national travel ban for three of the defendants, while the other two were subject to biweekly signature, a travel ban, and a prohibition on approaching the victims and the property.

Given the refusal to grant pretrial detention, the Prosecutor's Office verbally appealed in the same hearing. "According to the Public Ministry's criteria, considering that the requirements to prove criminal association were met, this prosecutor appealed so that the appeal may be heard by the Illustrious Court of Appeals of Puerto Montt. (...) The court set a 120-day investigation period," prosecutor Daniel Alvarado stated after the hearing.

According to the criminal prosecutor, within that period numerous investigative steps will be carried out to further clarify the facts "and establish the elements of the crimes and the participation of the defendants," who on Friday remained in transit detention while their precautionary measures are resolved.

Daniel Alvarado explained that this work has been carried out since the latter part of 2024 by the Sacfi Los Lagos Prosecutor's Office under the focus methodology, which—he maintained—is the only way to adequately address this type of criminal phenomenon.

"Overall, the investigation has been conducted with exhaustive and very meticulous work by the Robbery Investigative Brigade of the Investigative Police of Puerto Montt, who have carried out various procedures that have allowed at least three of the four crimes subject to the charges to be deemed proven, which

leaves us satisfied, and we continue working with the brigade on the procedures to be carried out starting Monday," he specified.

Source:Soychile.cl