Officials confiscated nearly 5 tonnes of rosewood and resin tree timber in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces on Sunday in separate incidents.
Military police in conjunction with the Forestry Administration found two cars loaded with rosewood and luxury timber and another car suspected of being used for transporting illegal timber in Siem Reap province.
“One car was found at a house with 142 logs of rosewood weighing 944 kilograms. Another one transporting luxury timber was abandoned by a driver, who escaped after seeing our officials”, said Tea Kimsoth, the director of the provincial Forestry Administration.
Kimsoth believes a third car found with four different licence plates was also involved.
Authorities questioned the owner of the home where the first car was found, but the 26-year-old denied involvement, claiming somebody else left the car at her property.
“She is not a perpetrator. We questioned her to find out the owner of the rosewood,” Kimsoth said, adding that she was later released.
Riem Chan Mony, court spokesman, said the woman gave officials information about the perpetrator. “We are searching for him”, Mony added.
In a separate case, nearly 4 tonnes of resin tree timber were found and confiscated by authorities in Preah Vihear’s Chheb district on Sunday.
The truck was seized and impounded, but the driver escaped.
