More than 100 beams of first-grade timber and hundreds of other planks were discovered and confiscated at four different locations in Kampong Thom’s Baray district by a joint national and provincial task force over two days, according to Tan Kimsour, chief of the Nature Lovers Youth Association.

Kimsour explained that after receiving tips about illegal logging in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, he and his team spent nearly a month investigating the case.

After gathering clear evidence, they requested intervention from national authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

A joint task force, led by Ith Phumara, deputy director of the National Forestry Administration, along with officers from the Kampong Thom provincial authority, carried out the crackdown from September 15-16 in Baray district’s Chong Doung and Balaing communes.

Several suspects were taken in for questioning, and at least two heavy trucks were found at the sites.

“Once we identified the timber storage locations and where the trucks were concealed, we requested national forces to conduct the crackdown discreetly, fearing the information might leak,” Kimsour said.

“We found that all the wood had been illegally cut from Prey Lang forest in Sandan district, with some stored in Baray district and some intended for export abroad,” he added.

He noted that his youth group also discovered an additional 20 to 30 cubic metres of mixed wood in Kampong Cham province’s Stung Trang district and they are requesting authorities to move in and seize it as well. Kimsour said this wood was also illegally cut from the wildlife sanctuary in Kampong Thom and Kratie provinces.

During the investigation, Kimsour observed multiple checkpoints along the timber transport routes, manned by forestry, environment, police and military officers. However, he noted, “It’s unclear how these transporters managed to move such large quantities of timber smoothly and safely.”

“How are these traffickers able to transport timber with such large trucks, including many 10-wheelers? If local officials were genuinely committed to cracking down on these crimes, we wouldn’t see such large-scale natural resource crimes happening. They either didn’t notice the crimes or chose to turn a blind eye,” he added.

Bun Sothy, director of the Kampong Thom provincial forestry administration, declined to comment. Meanwhile, Pen Vanrith, director of the provincial agriculture department, which oversees the provincial forestry administration, briefly stated that officials are continuing the legal process in the case.

Baray district Military Police commander Khun Bun Huor, who led the military police forces in the crackdown, and provincial military police deputy commander Khun Bun Hou declined to comment on the case on Wednesday, September 18.