Four of those prosecuted accepted charges for crimes related to illicit exploitation of minerals and procedural fraud.
Courtesy: Medellín Prosecutor’s Office.
The Attorney General’s Office dismantled a sophisticated network accused of illegally extracting and marketing gold in the northeast and the Bajo Cauca Antioquia. Five of its alleged main organizers were presented before a judge, and four accepted charges for crimes related to illicit exploitation of minerals and procedural fraud.
As part of the investigation, this criminal network was affected with precautionary measures for the purpose of extinguishing the right of ownership of assets valued at more than $373,000 million, including a mining title.
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A prosecutor from the Specialized Directorate for Crimes against Natural Resources and the Environment He charged those captured with conspiracy to commit a crime for the purposes of illicit exploitation, illegal extraction of mining deposits and procedural fraud.
By judicial decision, all defendants must remain deprived of liberty in their place of residence.
The evidence indicates that the group had defined roles and a sophisticated operating scheme that included the corruption of public officials. The network allegedly paid public servants to receive alerts about operations, as well as criminal structures to facilitate the extraction, transportation and marketing of gold.
In the internal hierarchy, María Consuelo Jiménez Salazar would be in charge of financial administration and coordination of the sale of the metal. Yurley Orrego Trujillo and Luciano Antonio Arbeláez Ochoa would be the administrators of several fronts of illicit exploitation.
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In addition, Jhon Wilmar Cabrera González was in charge of logistics, specifically the transportation of spare parts and the hiring of mechanics to repair the yellow machinery used in mining operations.
Finally, to Bernardo de Jesús Orrego Barrios He is charged with the crime of procedural fraud, for allegedly lending a mining title to try to legalize three seized gold bars, in order to avoid capture.
