Group of illegal loggers caught by PLCN in Preah Vihear. Photo: PLCN

PLCN continues to meet illegal loggers inside the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. Latest, PLCN encountered 10 illegal loggers in Prey Lang during a recent patrol. The Phnom Penh Post reported on the incident.

“In one arrest, [the alleged illegal loggers] were in the process of felling resin trees with chainsaws. The wood was to be used as home construction materials. There were about 50 cubic metres of timber that they had logged, but we could not seize it as we did not have tractors to transport it out of the forest,” said PLCN member Srey They to the Phnom Penh Post.

Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary Deputy Director Chin Monorith commented on the arrest to the Phnom Penh Post.

“Some villagers received permission to log timber as construction material to build homes, but they would then fell more trees to sell for an income. Some crimes occurred at night, but it is difficult to crack down on them as we do not have enough rangers and weapons,” Monorith said.