During five days of patrols, four rangers from the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary demolished five illegal timber sawing camps and a hunting camp in Stung Treng province’s Prek Meas commune in Siem Pang district. They also seized four chainsaws, two crossbows and 36 snares.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Ministry of Environment said two offenders were detained for questioning and released after they signed a contract promising to abide by the Law on Natural Protected Areas and stop their illegal logging activities.

Stung Treng Provincial Hall spokesman Men Kong told The Post on Thursday that it would enforce forestry-related laws through the Unit Command for Prevention and Crackdown on Natural Resources Crimes to prevent the grabbing of State land for private ownership.

Kong said the measures would begin by urging the public not to commit crimes in protected areas managed by the provincial Department of Environment.

“We will examine details of the planned measures to investigate how many sites [have been violated] and what evidence is [remaining]. Rangers are stationed at sites across natural protected areas, but they follow the Unit Command’s monthly schedule.

“Rangers stationed at Virachey National Park, Western Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary and Prey Lang Forest [complete] patrols over one week,” Kong said.

He said recorded instances of offences had reduced, but he remained concerned about crimes that occurred deep in the forests.

“The provincial Unit Command had introduced plans to do whatever is possible for rangers and the departments involved in the patrols to check on the deep forests. Communities are also involved in patrolling the deep forests,” he said.