Law enforcement officers and officials from Apsara Authority are trying to identify suspects who illegally felled a rosewood tree inside Siem Reap’s Angkor Archaeological Park.

Apsara Authority spokesman Long Kosal said after receiving information from villagers in Kouk Tachan village, authorities from the environmental department put a temporary ban on the transportation of luxury lumber in the area.

Officials claim the tree was felled on the night of August 8.

“Until now, we have not identified the suspects because it happened in the middle of the night and during heavy rain. However, we are actively working to identify the culprits,” Kosal said.

Sin Pisei, an Apsara official who inspected the scene of the incident, said the felled rosewood logs were located in the vicinity and were being guarded.

“The authorities are working together and have someone patrolling the area. We were afraid that the offenders will return to take the logs away,” he said.

Pisei said the logs were 40 centimetres in diameter and two metres in length and are being kept at the nearby environmental department headquarters.

Rosewood has become an endangered timber species in Cambodian due to the loss of forests due to illegal logging.