The Forestry Administration’s (FA) Kampong Speu provincial cantonment – in collaboration with Phnom Sruoch district Military Police and Treng Trayoeng commune police officers – raided a location in the commune’s Peam Antung village on May 17, seizing over two dozen illegal wild animals and arresting one suspect.
Commune police chief Sem Bundy said on May 18 that they carried out the raid in coordination with provincial court deputy prosecutor Khai Samphors on May 17 at the home of a resident of the village identified as Chan Bunthon, 27.
He added that the confiscated animals seemed to have just been captured recently, but they did not know where they were taken from and that to his knowledge bush meat had not been traded or trafficked recently in the commune.
In their May 18 report, the district Military Police said the joint forces confiscated five live peafowls, eight live wreathed hornbills, two live red-breasted parakeets, one live small parrot with a black beak, six live mouse deer, one live rufous-winged buzzard, four live changeable hawk-eagles, one live black-shouldered kite, two deceased great hornbills and a pair of claws taken from a deceased great hornbill.
Deputy commune police chief Soeurng Sam Ath said that during the raid, the joint forces arrested the suspect in the village and referred him to the Baset cantonment for questioning. The animals and samples have been taken to the Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Centre for assessment of their condition and possible rehabilitation or release.
