'Narcowood' case: 30 business owners give statements as Public Prosecutor's Office expands raids in Santa Cruz
The Public Prosecutor's Office summoned 30 owners and representatives of timber companies as witnesses. Operations in Santa Cruz have now reached seven intervened companies.
Public Prosecutor's Office begins taking statements in the 'narcowood' case
The case dubbed 'narcowood' entered a new phase this week. According to El Deber, the Public Prosecutor's Office summoned at least 30 people—owners, legal representatives and workers from timber companies—to give statements as witnesses starting Wednesday.
The Controlled Substances prosecutor, Julio César Porras, specified that the appearances would extend from Wednesday through Friday and continue the following week. "From tomorrow the first companies will already begin to give statements and will continue on Thursday, Friday and the following week as well," the official stated.
The summons could be expanded as investigators analyse the seized documentation. Porras also noted that officials from public entities linked to export and forestry control processes could also be summoned. "All the information we have seized will be analysed and those who had participation in each shipment will be called to give statements," he said.
Seven companies intervened in Santa Cruz alone
On Tuesday, the Public Prosecutor's Office carried out five new raids in Santa Cruz, bringing the number of companies intervened in that department to seven. At the national level, the number of operations reached approximately 30, according to data provided by the commission of prosecutors investigating the case.
During the interventions, export records, commercial documentation and wood samples were seized. "We have carried out a raid where we seized documentation referring to another company observed in Chile and we also cut a piece of wood that will be sent to the IITCUP and the IDIF for the corresponding expert examinations," Porras explained.
The operations concentrated on timber and by-product export companies located mainly in Santa Cruz, although the investigations cover other departments of the country. The Public Prosecutor's Office indicated that at least three companies remain pending intervention in the process.
Wood samples sent for expert analysis
The central line of investigation seeks to establish at what point in the supply chain the wood was contaminated with controlled substances before its exit abroad. To do so, prosecutors ordered the extraction of samples from both stored shipments and remnants from previous exports.
The pieces collected will be subjected to scientific studies whose results are expected within 10 to 15 days. "We are sending samples every day. They have told me that in about 10 or 15 days the results will be ready," the prosecutor indicated.
Porras highlighted that the owners and representatives of the intervened companies have shown a willingness to collaborate with the investigation. "All the owners are surprised, but there has also been a predisposition from all the companies to provide us with all the documentation," he affirmed. Some companies even authorised the voluntary cutting of doors and pieces of wood for the extraction of expert samples.
Origins of the case: shipments detected in Chile
The 'narcowood' case originated following the discovery in Chile of shipments of Bolivian timber allegedly impregnated with controlled substances, which activated a joint investigation to determine responsibilities and reconstruct the export route.
The Public Ministry seeks to identify the exact point where the cargo would have been altered before leaving Bolivia. As expert examinations and witness statements advance, the raids in Santa Cruz will continue on Wednesday.
Source: El Deber