Military police in Tbong Khmum province’s Memot district seized 478 pieces of illegal rosewood totaling about 3 cubic meters on Saturday night, but the driver escaped and authorities have yet to identify the source of the wood, according to local military police.
“After we got a report at about 9:30 p.m. our forces cooperated with economic police to come to stop a truck on National Road 7, but the driver escaped at that moment,” said Prum Vuthy, district military police commander.
Mr. Vuthy said the truck is being held at the district Forestry Administration office as the provincial court investigates.
In a separate case in Siem Reap province’s Prasat Bakorng district Thursday night, two soldiers were among three suspects arrested for transporting illegal luxury timber, but were released on Friday after supposedly paying a fine, according to local officials.
Samrith Sokhon, a deputy provincial prosecutor, said three suspects—two soldiers and a woman—were transporting 1 cubic meter of luxury Neang Nuon wood when they were stopped, but declined to provide their names or the amount of money they paid before being released.
“We cannot tell you details about this because it is court procedure,” he said.
