Thai police bust illegal logging gang in 33 million baht raid

[snoop1130]

 

In a daring crackdown on timber thieves’ crime, Thai police stormed a deforestation gang’s hideout in central Thailand, arresting one woman while four suspects managed to escape. The operation followed the discovery of illegal wood logs valued at approximately 33 million baht hidden in a warehouse in Phetchabun by officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.

 

Panatchakorn Potibandit, director of the preventive and suppression strategy unit at the Forest Protection and Fire Control Office, revealed that a team of specialised rangers carried out the warehouse raid to arrest the timber thieves. Their search unveiled a cache of 30 Narra logs, with nine of them traced back to the forest reserve of Phu Soi Dao National Park in Uttaradit province. Alongside the Narra logs, officials also uncovered 50 pieces of Burmese rosewood timber, 51 Burmese rosewood logs, and 59 more Narra timbers.

 

It is believed that these valuable illicit wood resources, collectively worth 33 million baht, were the ill-gotten gains of a timber thieves gang. Their cunning strategy involved hoarding the wood in the warehouse before attempting to smuggle it to neighbouring countries.

 

To bring the timber thieves to justice, officials swiftly filed a report against the owner of the warehouse, and an extensive investigation is currently underway to track down the associates of this unlawful operation.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-06

 

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[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In a daring crackdown on timber thieves’ crime, Thai police stormed a deforestation gang’s hideout in central Thailand, arresting one woman while four suspects managed to escape

revealed that a team of specialised rangers carried out the warehouse raid to arrest the timber thieves.

 

Crackdown or more of a let-down?

Edited November 6, 2023 by hotchilli

[nobodysfriend]

 

These illegal loggers go into protected forest reserves , armed with their chainsaws , and cut down the most beautiful big trees to sell the wood .

Nothing better than vandals and thieves ... destruction caused by their greed for money .

Always the same ...

[charleskerins]

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

These illegal loggers go into protected forest reserves , armed with their chainsaws , and cut down the most beautiful big trees to sell the wood .

Nothing better than vandals and thieves ... destruction caused by their greed for money .

Always the same ...

humans destroying their home