Mondulkiri Department of Environment rangers arrested a man in Ror Nhor commune’s Koh Nhek district last Saturday on suspicion of illegally hunting wildlife.

Department director Keo Sopheak said on Tuesday that 29-year-old Prut Kadol was sent to the Mondulkiri Provincial Court. Kadol also provided officials with the names of his two accomplices who escaped.

The rangers, based at the O Roveak station in the Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary, were patrolling the area and saw the three suspects riding two motorbikes. They followed them on the suspicion that their activities were related to wildlife offences.

When the rangers caught up with them, two stopped their motorbike and escaped into the forest.

Kadol did not and was arrested. The rangers checked his bag and found 76kg of dry bateng meat and an AK-47 rifle.

It was not the only arrest in the area over the weekend.

In a separate incident on Sunday, two suspects were stopped by rangers from Memang station and staff from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as they were on patrol in the forest in Chung Phlas commune’s Keo Seima district, in Mondulkiri.

The men said they entered the forest to check 22 traps they had set to catch wild animals. Phnong ethnic minorities, they were sent to the Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment and fined.

As for Kadol, Mondulkiri Provincial Court deputy prosecutor Mam Vanda told The Post on Tuesday he has been charged with discharging a weapon that damaged natural resources.

“A judge will decide punishment,” he said.