Smuggling Sting in Thailand Halts Illegal Palm Oil Operation

[snoop1130]

 

In a significant blow to an shadowy smuggling venture, Thai authorities have stopped the illegal trafficking of 2,700 kilogrammes of palm oil, following a series of raids along the Kra Buri River in the Ranong Province of Thailand. Four suspects have been detained in connection with the clandestine operation.

 

The raids were executed by the 25th Infantry Special Task Force in collaboration with local police units and administrative officials. The first raid occurred at a secluded channel along the river in the small Pak Chan village of Baan Hat Chid, where a long-tail boat from a neighbouring country was found laden with illegally sourced palm oil.

 

Two men, believed to be foreigners, were caught in the act of unloading the palm oil onto the riverbank. When cornered by the police, the suspects resorted to jumping in the river to evade capture, swimming safely back to their origin country. The authorities managed to secure 1,000 kilograms of palm oil left behind by the smugglers.

 

 

In a similar operation conducted at another river channel in Pak Chan, officials thwarted another smuggling attempt. A boat carrying palm oil to Thailand was intercepted, and after a minor scuffle that resulted in the escape of two men, the police arrested three Thai nationals. A subsequent search uncovered a batch of palm oil weighing 1,200 kilogrammes.

 

Finally, another raid was conducted at a third channel in Pak Chan, where officials discovered men loading palm oil into a pickup truck. When spotted, the men retreated on their boat, but not before one of their associates was apprehended. On inspection of the truck, 500 kilogrammes of illegal palm oil was seized.

 

The detained individuals, three Thai nationals and one of undisclosed nationality, and the confiscated illegal palm oil, have been transferred to Pak Chan Police Station for further legal proceedings. This operation stands as a testament of Thai authorities' ceaseless efforts to clamp down on illicit trade and protect their border terrains.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-11-19