A haul of luxury timber was intercepted and seized in Kampong Speu early yesterday morning, provincial military police said.

The truck, which was transporting 98 logs, was stopped at 12:10am yesterday in Oral district as it headed in the direction of Kampong Speu town. The driver and two assistants escaped.

“Our forces stopped a truck loaded with Beng, Thnong and Chhlik wood, which are all luxury timber,” said Tith Vannak, head of the provincial military police’s penal office.

“The driver and assistants hurriedly got out of the vehicle and ran into the forest. Until now, the identity of the timber’s owner and the timber’s source has not been identified.”

Chea Hean, director of the Natural Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organization, said those luxury timbers are often logged illegally from the Oral Wildlife Sanctuary.

“The loggers sell to middlemen or military officials, who transport it through four forestry outposts and past many environmental police officials. They collude with each other,” he said.