Illegal hunting ring broken up in Sierra de Gredos

[nick]

Illegal hunting ring broken up in Sierra de Gredos - thanks to Derek for putting me on to this.

EL SEPRONA DESMANTELA UN RED DE CAZA FURTIVA



Han sido detenidas 7 personas entre los que se encuentran los máximos responsables de la organización. • En el momento de las detenciones se encontraban en una cacería en la parte sur de la Sierra de Gredos.
 
La Guardia Civil, en la denominada operación “CHUPETE” y desarrollada en las provincias de Madrid, Ávila y Cáceres, ha detenido a 7 personas e imputado 1 más, como presuntos autores de delitos relacionados con la asociación ilícita, tenencia ilícita de armas, contra la flora y la fauna, y falsedad documental.

Las investigaciones se iniciaron a finales del pasado año, por Agentes del Servicio de Protección de la Naturaleza (SEPRONA), para el esclarecimiento de la posible existencia de un grupo organizado especializado en la caza furtiva de especies cinegéticas, no cinegéticas y en peligro de extinción, que pudiera estar desarrollando su actividad por todo el Territorio Nacional, especialmente en reservas naturales.

Los cazadores interesados en conseguir algún trofeo de alguna determinada categoría, contactaban con una persona que residía en un pueblo de Ávila, quién en vista del tipo de especie cinegética, caza y pago que estuvieran dispuestos a realizar los clientes, organizaba una cacería en alguna reserva, principalmente la de Sierra de Gredos.

Fruto de estas investigaciones, la Guardia Civil pudo constatar que en la localidad de Candeleda (Ávila), se encontraba el cabecilla de la red apoyado por otras 2 personas más, encargadas de buscar los clientes, mediante el “boca a boca” o a través de publicaciones especializadas

Dentro del dispositivo establecido, se tuvo conocimiento de una posible cacería ilegal a desarrollar el pasado fin de semana en la Reserva Natural de la Garganta de los Infiernos (Cáceres), cuyo servicios habían sido contratados por tres clientes de Málaga.

Los investigadores, tras localizar el punto de reunión, sito en la sierra de Ávila, sometieron a vigilancia a este grupo, desplegando para ello un dispositivo al objeto de garantizar su detención, resultando que una parte de los mismos se desplazaba el viernes día 2 desde la localidad abulense a Plasencia (Cáceres), iniciando el ascenso a la Reserva Natural, lugar donde permanecerían hasta el pasado domingo, con la finalidad de ubicar el lugar y los animales a abatir.

El sábado, J.C.F.D., acompañado por los clientes de Málaga, hacía lo propio, permaneciendo en la sierra hasta el pasado domingo a medio día, donde tras ser trasladados por A.M.A.D., hasta Plasencia (Cáceres), se procedía a su detención, cuando trataban de abandonar la localidad.

Posteriormente en la localidad de Candelela (Ávila), la Guardia Civil procedía a la detención de J.C.F.D. 42 años, P.F.D. 49 años y A.M.A.D., logrando huir en un primer momento del cerco de la Guardia Civil J.B.B., quién resultó detenido un día después en Arenas de San Pedro (Ávila).

Con la colaboración de los Agentes del Grupo de Rescate en Montaña de la Guardia Civil de Arenas de San Pedro y Barco de Ávila, y los Guardas forestales de la Reserva donde se realizó la cacería ilegal, el pasado martes, el SEPRONA de la Guardia Civil, lograba localizar los cuerpos decapitados de 2 machos de cabras hispánica abatidos supuestamente por los furtivos y que presentaban sendos impactos de bala.

Asimismo, se realizaron varios registros domiciliarios en la localidad de Candeleda (Ávila), interviniéndose:

- 2 silenciadores
- Una carabina de aire comprimido y cartuchos para armas de gran calibre
- 15 trofeos de caza (cabra hispánica, venado, muflón, gamo, corzo, rebeco, etc).
- Elementos de iluminación, ópticos y de transmisiones.
- Numerosos cuchillos de montería, machetes, hachas y navajas multiusos y ropa de camuflaje
- Cráneos y cuernas de cabra hispánica
- Fotografías
- Colmillos de jabalí, cráneos de antílope africano, gamo, corzo, rebeco, ciervo, búfalo africano, cabra montes, zorro,
- Pieles de cabra montés
- Precintos de la Junta de Castilla y León.

En un arcón frigorífico ubicado en el garaje de J.C.F.D., se localizaron:

- 5 cabezas de rebeco, 18 cabezas de corzo, 3 de jabalí, 1 de lobo
- 2 jinetas, 1 zorro, 1 gato montes, 1 rebeco
- 2 ánades reales, 1 perdiz,1 turón
- Una bolsa con patas pertenecientes a diferentes especies y 4 patas de corzo

La mayoría de estos animales se encuentran en peligro de extinción, estando recogidos en el apéndice de máxima protección por el Convenio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas (CITES), destacando el lobo y el gato montés.

El “Geiper” un especialista en guiar a furtivos.

Esta persona es el cabecilla encargado de ubicar la pieza a cazar y cuenta con personas de su confianza conocedores perfectos de los terrenos cinegéticos donde se puede practicar la caza.

Por otro lado, en el servicio que contratan los interesados, no se les exigía que fueran conocedores en el manejo de las armas, puesto que las mismas eran facilitadas por el “Geiper” y estaban totalmente equipadas con silenciadores

La forma de moverse y actuar de estas personas es de una total preparación, tanto material como intelectual, fruto de la experiencia en el deporte de la caza, manejo de las armas y equipamiento que portan, que suele ser de última generación.

Ninguno de los tres guías detenidos tenía permiso ni guía de pertenencia de armas, puesto que les habían sido retiradas al contar con antecedentes delictivos relacionados con la caza furtiva.  
 


Here: http://www.laplaza.com.es/noticias_det.asp?pob=otros&id=661

[Technopat]

Greetings All,
Pending Nick's visto bueno, and following on from the above horrendous reality (I had been about to write the word 'story'), maybe we could start a board (I think that's what Nick called it) on a very deeply-rooted nature issue here in Spain, viz. hunting, or as the entendidos (for those of you who aren't too familiar with Spanish, the cognoscenti), call it (elevating it to an art form) cinegética.

I have met, and know, more than my fair share of hunters here (one of whom is a retired vice admiral and is off to the north of Sweden this month to hunt elk - does anyone know if that's legal?), and whenever I broach the matter, leading them first to believe that I would not be adverse to joining them one day on their cacerí­as, to a man (never yet met a female hunter) they all profess to being nature lovers and often go on to proclaim that if it weren't for their public-spiritedness (try saying that after a couple o' pints of Guinness!), the country would be overrun by life-threatening/man-eating wild boar, etc., etc. - I'm pretty sure that they actually believe it. (I won't tell you what they think of all those arty-farty, nature conservationists and ecologists!).

Anyways, I think the issue warrants an exchange of views (even from those of you among us forum members who might even be hunters!).

Hoping not to have stirred up too much of a hornets' nest on this nature lovers' forum (it's just that the article above got my goat!), I look forward to feedback on this issue.
Regards,
Technopat

[Clive]

Hola,

Yes I think maybe a board on this subject may be worth it. I have a lot of questions about the way the hunting system is organised. I am a meat eater and have hunted for food and now Sue and I are rearing rabbits for meat in order to replace the ghastly meat products available on the supermarket shelves. So killing and butchering is a part of our system.

I have the little leaflet that explains all the hunting times but it seems all wrong. The basics are... kill the animals when the females are pregnant or when in mating season. Its all a bit odd...

I will explain further when the special place for this subject is created or not depending on the mighty administrator.

Clive

[lisa]

That's disgusting! I'm actually in two minds about hunting. At least the cotos de caza are preserved as wild spaces, but there's a fine line between legal and illegal hunting and obviously some cross it.

[Tore]

Technoprat,
Yes hunting for elk (or as the americans say moose, not be mixed up with american elk) is legal, both in Sweden and Norway.
It is in fact a national past-time for both countries, with everything closing down and no-one been available for 3 weeks in the autumn.
It is a hugely abundant species, which is often a problem (very few natural enemies and limits to space and forage).
Though it is very strictly regulated for each individual municipality, for Norway, I can say that we had hunting quotas for 2005 and 2006 at 45100 and 44460 animals respectively.
In 2006 though, we only shot 35000 animals (though we had 57400 registered elk hunters who were authorised to hunt elk that year).
I have to admit that I find the hunting in Spain to be somewhat incomprehensible, especially the season, which would be hugely illegal in Norway.
I am also disappointed in Spanish hunters as they all seem to leave their empty cartridges all over the place (a big no-no in Norway).
Having said that, I also find the tendency towards dumping garbage all over the place (or even not picking up your dogs droppings in urban areas) symptomatic for the general attitiude towards nature in general in this country.
Tore

[Technopat]

Greetings Tore,
Welcome to the forum!
Don't have time right now to develop this but promise to get back to you soonest - your reasonable analysis of the situation here in Sp. promises to provide some interesting input to the ongoing debate.
Regs.
Technopat
Ps
Let's see how long it takes Clive, Dave and some of the other "lads" to spot that typo (?). They'll be on to it like a shot! The hunt is on!

[Clive]

Hola,

Do you mean the typo where all the countries mentioned have a capital letter except for one of them?

Clive

[Technopat]

Greetings All,
No, that wasn't a typo, that was deliberate Old World snub, methinks. But best to let the author confess (to that particular one - the hunt is still on for the original typo).
Regs.
Technopat

[lisa]

Didn't take much hunting for on my part but am just being well-behaved for a change!

[Clive]

Hola,

I was being polite....

Clive

[Technopat]

Geetings All,
Ain't it great to belong to a forum with so many well-behaved and polite people - what was that crack of Groucho's?
Kind regards,
TechnoPAT

[Tore]

Sorry native speakers,
You had all managed to pique my interest, as the sublter forms of the english language may still tend to escape me on occasion.
Yes, I do have a thing for the yanks (I regularily promise my US colleagues that I will never send my children to the American School of Madrid (had to use a capital there I'm afraid)). They have destroyed the language completely (everything from a pebble in ones shoe to a a boulder, is called a "rock").
Anyway, I was going to ask ask for enlightenment on what was initially an unintended typo, but actually to my great pleasure, is now clearly only plain to myself and the good technopat.
This was probably too much of a clue, but I look forward as much as technopat to seeing who will follow.
regards
Tore (the typist)

[judith]

Old topic I know, but have only just read it.
Horrifying pictures and Candeleda is very close to us. Glad that ring has been broken up, but I wonder how many others there are.
We have already put up signs on our land to denote that it is private property after taking a meander down to the stream at the bottom and finding someone had not only been shooting there, but had left their "handbag" with bullets and knives hanging from a branch on a tree....I presume they were intending to come back to do some more.
I think having read the above posts, we should be putting up signs on our land saying no hunting....but will this stop the hunters from trespassing...or will they do it anyway?
Maybe we will have to become more territorial and patrol our boundaries regularly.