Five people were arrested, and for the first time in Huila, criminal measures were issued for crimes committed against natural resources.
It is an interinstitutional work conducted by Ninth Brigade of the Army, Police, Prosecutor and Regional Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena, CAM.
In 2021, the strengthening of the strategy Environmental Bubble in Huila, has consolidated several processes that, to date, resulted in the finding of 148 cubic meters of wood, and charcoal, the seizure of two vehicles and two machines used for illegal mining and 17 arrests for environmental crimes.
The most recent result was possible after two years of research, carried out within the framework of Operation Artemisa, an operation that led to the arrest of five men responsible for the crimes of use of illicit renewable natural resources, natural resource damage, and association to commit crimes.
The arrest process was carried out in San Adolfo, in the municipality of Acevedo and counted on members of the Magdalena Battalion of the Ninth Brigade, Sijín, Sipol, Carabineros, Attorney General of the Republic and the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena, CAM.
During the hearing a judgeof the municipality of Pitalito, three of the accused received a measure of house arrest and the other two, non-prison measures. This is the first time that, in Huila, this type of court order has been established for crimes against natural resources.
The investigations were carried out after two years of work, thanks to physical evidence and elements collected by the territorial control authorities.
Endemic tree in danger
The commercialization of this prohibited tree encourages illegal exploitation as well as trafficking in the area. By natural distribution, oak is a typical tree in the forests of the south of Huila, which is in endangered category (EN), according to the list of threatened trees of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature-IUCN.
Its wide ecosystem presence provides a high production of oxygen and carbon arrest, because according to studies, it has been established that this tree detains much more Carbon Dioxide, than the rest of forests.
Source: press-National Army
