Log gang drops in at ranger unit

CHIANG RAI: A forest official was sacked after being found guilty of negligence for letting loggers use a forest protection unit compound as a transit point for smuggling wood.

The Royal Forest Department fired Khamdee Intawong, a forest inspection official, yesterday after an inquiry panel set up by the Forest Resource Management Office 2 (Chiang Rai) concluded he was in the wrong.

The incident occurred around 3am on March 26 when a lorry entered the compound of Forest Protection Unit 13 in tambon Ban Saew of Chiang Saen district.

The driver, Ekkachai Limprasert, then dumped 20 logs, many of which turned out to be rosewood, and 111 sheets of processed wood within the compound.

He claimed all the wood was legal and that he would return with proof in the morning.

Shortly afterwards, the wood was loaded onto another lorry and driven away without anyone at the unit stopping it.

The vehicle was later intercepted and the wood confiscated by police in Ban Sop Kham-Chiang Saen.

The panel concluded Mr Khamdee was Mr Ekkachai’s accomplice.

Atthapol Charoenchansa, deputy director-general of the department, instructed forest officials to lodge a complaint against the pair with investigators.

He said the probe would be expanded to see whether other forest officials were involved.

Mr Atthapol said this case may be linked to a transnational poaching network with state officials suspected of being involved.

The department will work with the Antimoney Laundering Office to examine the paper trail and seize the assets of suspects.

He said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Gen Surasak Karnjanarat has laid down a clear policy for heads of state agencies to severely punish any officials who are found to have been complicit in any illegal activities.