A coordinated effort by forestry officials in two provinces led to the arrest of a man carrying 450 kg of illegal rosewood in his pickup truck on Saturday in Siem Reap province.
Deputy prosecutor Samrith Sokhom said Sun Bunrith, 22, was arrested outside a nightclub in Siem Reap City, where he was attempting to evade authorities.
“He was arrested after our mixed forces of forestry officers, military police and economic police chased him from Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, to Siem Reap City,” said Mr. Sokhom.
Mr. Sokhom added that no charges have been laid thus far and Mr. Bunrith is being held at Siem Reap Provincial Prison as he awaits questioning by an investigating judge.
Mr. Sokhom said forestry officials in Oddar Meanchey gave their counterparts in Siem Reap province a tip-off that the truck was coming, and forestry officials in Siem Reap City began following it.
When the driver attempted to evade forestry officials by pulling into a nightclub parking lot, forestry officials arrested him and confiscated 40 pieces of illegal rosewood weighing 450 kg from the truck.
The wood is being held at the forestry administration office in Siem Reap province.
“We suspected this truck was transporting rosewood,” said Men Vuthy, forestry chief in Siem Reap province.
“Our forces chased and arrested the driver in Siem Reap City and confiscated the rosewood.”
