Military police joined forces with the Fisheries Administration in Kompong Thom province on Friday to arrest six men and confiscate four bulldozers being used to clear protected flooded forest in Stong district’s fisheries conservation area, officials said Sunday.
District military police commander Khun Bunho said that on Friday afternoon, military police and local officials surrounded the bulldozers, which were actively clearing land in a fish conservation area in Samprorch commune.
“We arrested six people and confiscated four bulldozers,” he said, adding that local villagers had reported the illegal activity.
“In the past, we have warned people many times that clearing forest in that area is illegal but they do not listen, so we need to take an action,” Mr. Bunho said.
Five of the suspects—Hang Hen, 31; Ben Sopheap, 25; Sam Tha, 22; Sum Ki, 37; and Keo Koeun, 23—came from Battambang province’s Sampov Loun district, while Ly Lim, 51, is a local from Samprorch commune, according to Hang Thol, provincial military police commander.
“After their arrest and questioning, the suspects admitted they do not own the land and had rented it from villagers in the commune,” he said. “We are questioning them to find out how many more people are involved.”
Pen Vanrith, chief of the fisheries administration cantonment in Kompong Thom province, could not be reached for comment.
Kuch Kimlong, deputy provincial prosecutor, said military police had not yet delivered the case to the court.
“When this case arrives in our hands, we will take necessary action and decide what to do next,” he said.
Although fishing is forbidden in the conservation area, the flooded forest has been plagued by illegal clearing. In July 2012, some 20 local officials received court summonses over their suspected involvement in clearing vast areas of forest to make way for dry season rice farming.
