PHNOM PENH: Authorities in Pursat province have seized nearly 400 items and detained three suspects in connection with forestry crimes, following a series of patrols conducted in January, officials said.
The provincial Department of Environment said it worked with Royal Gendarmerie officers and partner organisations to crack down on illegal activities related to forest and wildlife exploitation across the province.
Between Jan 1 and 31, officials removed 327 wire snares, dismantled 150 metres of electric snare lines and seized 66 metres of bird nets. One turtle was rescued and released back into the wild.
During the operations, authorities also confiscated 34 chainsaws, 21 modified firearms, and 590 metres of fishing nets, released 10 kilogrammes of juvenile fish, extinguished five forest fires, and dismantled eight illegal camps, the department said.
Three suspects were charged in February by the Pursat Provincial Court with illegally clearing and encroaching on forest land within the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, in Veal Veng district. The alleged offences involved clearing, burning and bulldozing forest land in an attempt to claim ownership.
The charges were filed under Article 851 of the Environmental and Natural Resources Code, which carries criminal penalties. The suspects, aged 36, 37 and 40, have been placed in pre-trial detention at Pursat provincial prison.
Eng Reaksmey, director of the environment department, warned that “handcuffs are waiting” for timber traders and offenders who continue to destroy natural resources in Pursat province.
“I will not show leniency. This forest is not for a handful of people to destroy. We will see who dares to intervene,” he said.
He called on members of the public and journalists with information about forestry offences to report cases to local authorities or directly to the department, pledging continued enforcement within his jurisdiction. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
