A lorry discovered to be secretly transporting illegally logged wood on Monday was impounded by Kampong Thom provincial authorities, with the vehicle’s driver now in hiding, according to a provincial forestry administration official.

Bun Sothy, the provincial Forestry Administration head, said Santuk district officials collaborated with Military Police officers to intercept the lorry, which attempted to conceal the illegal wood under cassava.

Sothy said the driver fled during the operation, with authorities then impounding the vehicle at Taing Krasaing Forestry Administration headquarters.

Authorities are now searching for the vehicle’s owner in order to resolve the case, he continued.

“Our officials took the vehicle to hold at Taing Krasaing Forestry Administration, but we have not yet unloaded the wood to measure it as our officials are busy with other cases."

“We do not yet know what types of wood or how much of it the lorry held. Let us wait and see within two or three days, then our officials will work on the task,” Sothy said.

He speculated that the wood may be second grade, cut into pieces to make planks for building homes. The wood was likely not for sale on the international market, but only intended to be sold locally, he said.