Foresty officials raided two locations in Mondulkiri province on Friday, confiscating more than 1,000 logs from suspected illegal timber dealers.

Seak Nal, a village representative, said the owners of the allegedly illegally felled timber, however, have not yet been apprehended.

“The timber is mixed, including first grade to [luxury species] such as thnong and neang nuon,” said provincial forestry official Keb Kort.

“We estimate there are about 1,000 logs, which we have just transported to our office. We are transporting more now.”

The owners of the timber are known to police, he added, but were not at the raided locations over the weekend.

Kort declined to name the suspected timber dealers.

Many of the traders have in the past been connected to local officials and members of the security forces, who allegedly provide protection.

Provincial deputy prosecutor Sou Sovichea said the two sites were unlicensed.

A recent analysis of satellite images by the World Resources Institute suggested that Cambodia has experienced the fastest acceleration of forest loss globally since 2001.