BANGKOK: Three members of a forestry protection unit in Ban Kut Takab of Nakhon Phanom’s Waritchaphum district were attacked in a raid by five men at around 12.10am on Sunday (Nov 10).
The gang stole Siam rosewood and two shotguns from the forestry officials who were bound and left with their heads covered.
Initial investigations revealed that the five men, dressed in black and with their faces concealed, approached Sarayut, a forest officer, at his residence. They broke down the door, tied his hands and feet with rope, covered his head and assaulted him when he tried to fight back. They also seized three mobile phones and a shotgun.
The attackers then split up. One group guarded Sarayut while another went to a nearby house occupied by Bunluesak, a forest protection officer, and his wife, Patpimon, an administrative officer. Using similar tactics, they stole two more phones, another shotgun, and 10 rounds of ammunition.
A third group used a pickup truck to load 19 rosewood logs valued at approximately 825,000 baht, before fleeing. The entire incident took around 30 minutes. Three CCTV cameras in the area were disabled.
The suspects fled toward Phang Khon district. Regional police investigators have joined the investigation, questioning both current and former forestry protection unit members for further insights.
Authorities have preliminary information about the suspects but are withholding details pending verification of evidence before seeking arrest warrants.
It is suspected that the perpetrators were aware of the rosewood stockpile and the CCTV locations, as well as escape routes, indicating possible prior knowledge of the site.
The stolen rosewood was originally seized by officials in 2011. Eighteen logs were reported stolen on Sept 8 with the officers scheduled to testify on the same day as this more recent theft. - The Nation/ANN
