Phnom Penh (FN), May 26 – A total of 26 Cambodian workers were arrested by Thai soldiers in collaboration with Thai border gendarmeries while they were preparing for loading felled rosewood they had cut in the nearby protected areas onto the transporting vehicle, according to Thai media reports.

The Thai media reported that in the afternoon of September 25, 2016, Thai gendarmerie in cooperation with the army and those of the forests safeguard unit in national park of Pangsida surrounded a village named Village 10, Tayek commune, Meurng district, Sa Kaev province, near to the national park, after receiving tip-off that there were rosewood cut and stored in the village.

The reports went on to say that in the raid, 26 Cambodian nationals were arrested when they were preparing to load 80 pieces of rose wood onto a vehicle.
The arrested confessed that they came into the protected areas and cut the trees because they had been hired to do that by powerful employers.

The seized wood were returned to the national park forests safeguard unit while the 26 arrestees were sent Sa Kaev provincial police commissioner office for interrogation that may lead to the arrest of ring leaders to be brought to justice, the media reported.