Nearly a tonne of luxury wood was confiscated after a brief car chase in Ratanakkiri on Sunday night, though the smuggler escaped arrest, according to a police report.

A van carrying the timber had travelled from Stung Treng province to Banlung district in Ratanakkiri province when military police attempted to stop the vehicle for inspection.

However, the driver sped up in a bid to escape, with authorities tailing the rogue van until it reached a cashew plantation. The driver then abandoned the van and took off on foot, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Banlung district military police Commander Hay Vannara.

“The car was checked and we found 985 kilograms of luxury timber,” Vannara said.

He added that timber was taken to the provincial Forestry Administration office, but director Keb Kort yesterday declined to comment.

In a separate case, Kampong Thom Forestry Administration officials said they had seized 99 tree trunks and two tractors used to illegally transport goods in Sandan district on Friday, though no arrests have yet been made.