Two men were arrested in Pailin province on Saturday and detained for allegedly transporting one tonne of rosewood from Thailand into Cambodia.

Police said the suspects, Khem Seyla, 35, and Ran Poy, 25, were caught with a total of 19 pieces of rosewood.

“They hid the timber in a pond for selling them to a broker in town, but were seen and stopped,” the police commander said. The wood was impounded.

Chum Sensothea, chief prosecutor at the Pailin provincial court, confirmed that the two suspects had been sent to court, but had not yet been charged.

“We are waiting for the information from the forest officer to make a final conclusion. The two men will be detained at the provincial police station for one more night,” he said.

Chhim Chamnan, chief of the Cambodia-Thailand Border Relations office in Pailin province, said that the case was under investigation.