Three Cambodians including a border patrol soldier were arrested by Thai soldiers while they and seven other villagers transported illegally logged rosewood from Thailand into Cambodia last Friday.

“Seven villagers escaped and three were arrested,” said Khuon Srey Sros, chief of Oddar Meanchey province’s Thmor Daun village, from where two of those arrested came.

“Nobody was injured and the Cambodian soldier had no weapon.”

The villagers were aware of the risks of illegally crossing the border, but they dared it anyways because of their impoverishment, she said, adding that she and the other villagers still did not know the whereabouts of a 12-year-old village boy who had been caught by Thai patrollers harvesting forest shrubs across the border two years ago.

 To contact the reporter on this story: Phak Seangly at [email protected]