Illegal Wood Seized on the Thai Border

geovalin · September 12, 2016

More than 10 pieces of luxury timber were seized by customs officials after being discovered hidden in a cart with other goods being transported from Thailand to Cambodia on Saturday afternoon, according to a customs official and a rights group worker. Huy Socheat, chief of the customs office at the Poipet International Checkpoint, confirmed the seizure but declined to comment in detail as he claimed to be in a meeting.

A photo online showed the wood hidden among boxed goods and plastic kitchen materials covered with a plastic tarp being pulled by Cambodian porters, usually commissioned to carry imported goods from Thailand through the checkpoint. Yi Khim, the deputy chief of the customs office who was in charge of Saturday’s operation, could not be reached for comment. He was accused of colluding with traders who carry the goods from Thailand for tax exemption by the Border Press Defense Association yesterday, a day after the operation.

Soum Chankea, the Banteay Meanchey provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said he learned of the seizure from a journalist friend who had gone to the checkpoint. “I was informed about the news from a friend of mine who is a journalist and he went directly to the scene and took photos of the seizure,” he said.

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29613/illegal-wood-seized-on-the-thai-border/