Officials from the Kampong Chhnang Forestry and Fisheries Department seized a 10-tonne truckload of luxury timber in the early hours of yesterday morning, according to provincial Forestry Administration chief Thorng Vandyra.

“Now, both the truck and timber have been impounded at the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department,” Vandyra said, adding that if the owners are ever caught, they could face three to five years in prison and fines totalling “millions of riel”.

He added that the driver escaped after abandoning the Hyundai truck 50 metres from a checkpoint near Derm Phaka village, in Rolea Ba’ier district’s Andong Snay commune.

Meanwhile, Stung Treng provincial military police spokesman Uy Kvai said that in a joint operation with provincial Forestry Administration officials, his colleagues seized a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces land cruiser loaded with 183 pieces of thnong luxury timber on Saturday afternoon.

The vehicle was seized in Ksach Thmey village, in Sesan district’s Talat commune, according to Kvai. “Currently, the evidence – the car and the timber – has been impounded at the provincial military police base while a lawsuit is prepared for the court to take further action,” he said, adding that a search by military police for the owner of the timber is ongoing.