Two men who abandoned a load of illegal timber on Saturday night turned themselves in at the Keo Seima district Forestry Administration office in Mondulkiri province yesterday, officials said.

The men had been driving two Toyota Land Cruisers loaded with 10 logs of illegal sokrom timber, but fled when authorities attempted to stop them, according to Meak Vuthy director of the office.

“After we called for the owners [to claim their vehicles], they appeared and agreed to pay the fine in accordance with the law.

They are completing the legal documents now,” Vuthy said.

Vuthy, however, refused to identify the two men or to say the amount of the fine, saying that the case is still being processed.

Keo Seima Governor Sin Vanvuth said that his authorities had seen the cars loaded with timber and tipped off the Forestry Administration officers.

“We did not know where [the drivers] were from.

They thought there were no officers on duty, so they took a risk and transported the timber through the checkpoint,” he said.