Wildlife rangers and officers from Chaiyaphum Police Station arrested six Vietnamese timber smugglers on the weekend at Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary in Chaiyaphum province in the Isaan region of Thailand.
The suppression of the Vietnamese timber smuggling gangs started final 12 months after Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary wildlife rangers had been notified that a group of Vietnamese men entered the sanctuary to acquire agarwood.
Following an investigation, on November 25 last 12 months, officers encountered 4 smugglers but they managed to escape. However, one of the smugglers, a Vietnamese citizen, was arrested on December 2. Officers seized roughly 64 kilograms of agarwood items during the arrest.
From January of this yr, the wildlife rangers frequently patrolled the world and found further evidence resulting in the smuggling gang’s exercise. The information they gathered led to the arrest of the six Vietnamese timber smugglers on Saturday, March 18.
The arrested suspects have been Dang Hiep, Tran Cao Cuong, Nguyen Van Binh, Hoang Van Ba, Hoang Van An, and Hoang Xuan Van. Officers confiscated 171 kilograms of agarwood, two cars, and different tools as proof.
The gang face nine expenses for violating the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, Forest Act, and National Forest Act. The specific details of each offence and penalty haven’t been reported by the authorities.
Officers also reported that other suspects in the gang are nonetheless at giant, and their criminal acts had been found to be associated to different foreign criminal groups in Thailand. They not only smuggled agarwood but also smuggled different precious timber and trafficked protected wildlife.
According to the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, between 2009 and the present, forty one Vietnamese suspects have been arrested in Thailand whereas 23 suspects have been arrested in Malaysia for agarwood smuggling and Bengal tiger looking.
Agarwood, often known as Kritsana wood in Thailand, is highly valued due to its distinct aroma and potential well being advantages. The wooden has an extended history of use in traditional medicine, fragrance making, and religious ceremonies. Agarwood is also used to make incense and different fragrances and is a popular ingredient in Thai therapeutic massage oils.
Thailand is probably considered one of the world’s largest producers of agarwood, and the wooden is present in various areas all through the country. However, due to over-harvesting and unlawful commerce, agarwood is turning into more and more scarce and costly.
In Swipe , varied measures have been applied to protect the wooden. Any harvesting or buying and selling must be done beneath the legal guidelines and regulations. The worth of agarwood can range relying on quality and rarity, the rarest and highest high quality agarwood can sell for tens of 1000’s of dollars per kilogramme..