Law No. 21,488 sanctions the crime of timber theft
On September 27th, 2022, Law No. 21,488 was enacted, incorporating new crimes in the Chilean Criminal Code sanctioning the theft of timber.
The new regulation, in its first article, adds the “Paragraph IV ter. of the theft of timber” in the Chilean Criminal Code to grant a special regulation of these crimes. Thus, if the value of the timber obtained through the theft exceeds approximately USD 615.00, an accessory penalty will be applied consisting of a fine of USD 4,615.00 to USD 6,154.00.
Additionally, in those cases in which the stolen timber exceeds approximately USD 3,077.00, or it was committed in a consistent pattern or as an organized act, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is authorized to make use of special investigation techniques, such as undercover agents and informants (Section 226 bis of the Criminal Procedure Code).
