Police detained nearly 100 suspected loggers from crossing into Thailand from Oddar Meanchey’s Trapaing Prasat district on Friday to illegally cut timber, Provincial Governor Sar Thavy said yesterday.

The 95 would-be border crossers were arrested in several different groups and were in possession of logging equipment, he added.

“We stopped them immediately after police found that they were crossing into Thailand for timber logging, and we explained to them that there is a risk they would be shot and arrested by Thai troops,” Thavy said.

“We’re educating them before setting them free, and explaining that the risk of death could be harmful to their children, wives and families,” he added, noting that the loggers would be provided with 10,000 riel ($2.50) to pay for travel back to their homes.

Srey Naren, a provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc who has criticised what he characterised as a weak crackdown on logging, said his organisation was “still concerned” about such illegal crossings.