6 Vietnamese arrested over illegal logging of agarwood trees in Chaiyaphum
Six Vietnamese men have been arrested for allegedly felling and stealing protected eaglewood trees inside Chaiyaphum’s Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary.
Eaglewood, also called agarwood, is prized for its resinous wood that is used in the production of incense, perfume and small carvings.
Attapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said on Monday that the six suspects were nabbed at 9.30pm on Saturday.
Also seized were two cars and 173 kilos of wood from the trees.
Attapol quoted sanctuary chief Wichanon Saenpala as saying that the arrests were made after a two-month-long hunt for illegal loggers.
Officials had received tip-offs about a group of illegal loggers felling eaglewood trees and had been planning their arrests until the six were spotted on Saturday night.
The suspects have been identified as Dang Hiep, Tran Cao Cuong, Nguyen Van Binh, Hoang Van Ba, Hoang Van An, and Hoang Xuan Van.
The suspects were handed over to Khon San district police for legal action. They face eight charges each, namely:
• Entering a wildlife sanctuary without permission
• Collaborating to degrade natural environment
• Stealing and damaging protected flora
• Damaging the environment by stealing
• Collaborating to illegally trade in wildlife flora
• Collaborating to damage forests
• Removing flora from national forest reserves without permission
• Damaging natural environment inside forest reserves.
