🌳🚓 Officials in Phetchabun made a massive discovery of illegal wood worth 33 million baht in a deserted warehouse, including Narra and Burmese rosewood timber. Investigations are ongoing to find the responsible deforestation gang. Stay tuned for updates! 🌳🚓 #IllicitWoodDiscovery #WildlifeConservation #DeforestationGang #Phetchabun #IllegalWood #EnvironmentalCrime #WoodSmuggling
Discovery of the Logs
In an unprecedented turn of events, officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation came across a stash of illegal wood valued at approximately 33 million baht in an abandoned warehouse located in Phetchabun.
Panatchakorn Potibandit, heading the preventive and suppression strategy unit of the Forest Protection and Fire Control Office, revealed that special unit rangers conducted a successful raid on a warehouse. During this operation, they discovered an alarming amount of Narra logs – a total of 30 to be precise.
Details of the Seized Goods
Of these seized logs, nine were found to be smuggled from the forest reserve of Phu Soi Dao National Park, located in Uttaradit province. Alongside these, officials also found a variety of other illegal wood stock. The tally included 50 pieces of Burmese rosewood timber, 51 Burmese rosewood logs, and an additional 59 Narra timbers. This revelation was made by Mr. Panatchakorn.
The Value And Origins Of The Logs
The logs, which amounted to a staggering sum of 33 million baht, are believed to belong to a deforestation gang. It is suspected that this gang stored the logs in the warehouse as a temporary measure before smuggling them out to neighboring countries.
Legal Actions and Investigations
As a consequence of this find, official reports have been filed against the warehouse owner. Currently, a more extensive investigation is underway to track down and apprehend the associates of this deforestation gang.
Another Raid
In a related incident, a raid was carried out on the hideout of a deforestation gang, known for cutting Narra trees in Ban Huai Hin Fon of tambon Na Yang Klak in Thep Sathit district. This operation was a collaboration between police from Thep Sathit police station and officials from the Forest Resource Management Office in Chaiyaphum province.
During the raid, five suspects were identified; however, they managed to evade capture, leaving only one woman to be arrested. Saifon, a 40-year-old local of Chaiyaphum, was apprehended with an electric chainsaw and taken to Thep Sathit station.
Ongoing Investigation
Currently, police are conducting further investigations into the financiers backing the deforestation gang. During the raid, over 60 large Narra logs in the process of being processed were discovered. It is believed that these illicit logs are transported to foreign customers by the gang.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was discovered in the abandoned warehouse in Phetchabun?
A stash of illegal wood valued at approximately 33 million baht was discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Phetchabun. The seized logs included 30 pieces of Narra logs, 50 pieces of Burmese rosewood timber, 51 Burmese rosewood logs, and an additional 59 Narra timbers.
2. What are the suspected origins of the illegal logs and what legal actions have been taken?
The logs are believed to belong to a deforestation gang. It is suspected that this gang stored the logs in the warehouse temporarily before smuggling them out to neighboring countries. Reports have been filed against the warehouse owner and an extensive investigation is currently underway to track down and apprehend the associates of this gang.
3. What happened during the raid on the deforestation gang’s hideout in Ban Huai Hin Fon?
During the raid on the deforestation gang’s hideout in Ban Huai Hin Fon of tambon Na Yang Klak in Thep Sathit district, five suspects were identified. However, they managed to evade capture, leaving only one woman, Saifon, a 40-year-old local of Chaiyaphum, to be arrested. Saifon was found with an electric chainsaw and was taken to Thep Sathit station. The police are currently conducting further investigations into the financiers backing the deforestation gang.
