Five arrested in drug trafficking network between Santiago and Punta Arenas remain in preventive detention
A coordinated operation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the PDI Anti-narcotics Brigade dismantled an organisation that transported drugs from La Pintana to Magallanes. The court ordered preventive detention for five defendants and imposed a 120-day deadline to close the investigation.
Five arrested in drug trafficking network between Santiago and Punta Arenas remain in preventive detention
The Guarantee Court of Punta Arenas ordered preventive detention for five people linked to a drug trafficking network that operated between the commune of La Pintana in Santiago and the capital of Magallanes Region. The decision was made following an extensive preliminary hearing where evidence gathered by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Chilean Investigation Police was presented.
The investigation was led by the Public Prosecutor's Office and carried out by the PDI Anti-narcotics Brigade, who conducted intelligence work and wiretaps to determine how the group operated. These procedures made it possible to arrest the five suspects on 18 February.
According to information provided by prosecutor Johanna Irribarra, the alleged leader of the organisation lived in La Pintana, from where he coordinated the shipment of narcotics to Punta Arenas. The operation included four simultaneous raids: three at different addresses in the southern city—including the Villa Las Nieves sector—and one at the alleged ringleader's residence in the Metropolitan Region.
During the procedures, a considerable quantity of drugs was seized, equivalent to 1,200 doses with an estimated value of 24 million pesos. In addition, police teams seized 529,000 pesos in cash, digital scales and various items used for the dosing and sale of the substances.
The defendants' lawyers presented arguments to avoid preventive detention, including claims of health problems in the case of the only woman in the group, an elderly adult. However, the court upheld the Public Prosecutor's request and ordered the precautionary measure for the five detainees, considering that their freedom represents a risk to public safety.
The judge set a 120-day deadline to conclude the investigation, during which the PDI and the Public Prosecutor's Office must complete the remaining procedures before taking the case to trial.
Source: Google News CL — Santiago