Army chiefPrayuth Chan-ocha has ordered his subordinates to enforce the law against wood poachers as illegal logging shows sign of intensifying.
The order was issued at an Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) meeting yesterday , Isoc spokesman Banpot Pulpian said.
Gen Prayuth, who is also deputy director of Isoc, had instructed troops to work with state agencies and take harsh law enforcement action against violators, particularly networks of the masterminds behind the illegal logging, Col Banpot said.
All evidence must be provided to the media, while authorities should also keep a close watch on wood being processed to make furniture, Col Banpot said.
Col Banpot said statistics show arrests of illegal loggers have risen in the northeastern and eastern regions, particularly the logging of phayung (Siamese rosewood), which has hit crisis level.
Referring to illegal logging in Salawin National Park in thr northern province of Mae Hong Son, Col Banpot said authorities have apprehended nine suspects and seized nearly 5000 processed wood planks and more than 2000 teak logs so far this month.
gen Prayuth ordered troops to patrol forests nationwide after the Salawin and upstream area in Nan province were found to have been critically deforested. More than 1500 logs of teak, Pradu and Ching Chan wood were seized in a house at Lampang's Muang.