The men were violating Article 338 of the Colombian Penal Code.
Within the framework of Operation Artemisa, soldiers of the Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 12 of the Ninth Brigade, officials of the Technical Investigation Corps, CTI, and the Upper Magdalena Regional Autonomous Corporation, CAM, neutralize the environmental impact that it had been causing through activities of illicit exploitation of a mining deposit.
The operation took place in Versalles in the municipality of Pitalito, after a month of intelligence work that led to the identification of a point from which stone material was extracted, which was later taken to a crushing place.
The officials saw the excavation work on the side of the mountain that shows the serious damage to the environmental components, water, soil, flora and fauna.
During the inter-institutional operation, Leonardo Chilito and Ferney Noriega, who served as driver and machinist, respectively, of the dump truck and backhoe found at the site of the events, were captured. They were immediately captured in flagrante delicto and put into custody of the authority.
Source: National Army News Agency