The Pailin provincial court on Saturday put four men in pre-trial detention on charges of “illegal mountain excavation” after they were arrested for carving out a mountain in late August.
Provincial forestry administration deputy director Min Ravuth identified the suspects as Da Lin, 41; Khe Theom, 38; Morn Savet, 28; and Mit Samnang, 22.
They were caught red-handed while using excavators to carve out the mountain in Sala Krav district’s Steung Kach commune on Friday.
Their excavators and trucks were also impounded during the raid.
Provincial military police’s justice department director Norng Vanny said during questioning, one of the suspects, Samnang, said he was just a worker employed to excavate the mountain and pleaded for his release.
