Exposed: Smuggling Network of Illegal Timber and Contraband in Mae Hong Son Border Region

On February 17, 2024, reporters uncovered a local criminal network illegally constructing new mountain roads to connect remote villages, creating a smuggling route for illegal activities. The network includes a former local administrative leader, a major contractor, two village heads, and a gas station owner. Their primary operations involve illegal logging of teak and rosewood, smuggling cattle, minerals, and drugs from the Sao Hin area, deliberately avoiding traditional routes to evade law enforcement. They would hide timber in a local temple, claiming it was for construction, before transporting goods to Chiang Mai. The smuggling route spans multiple districts, including Mae La Noi, Mae Sarieng, and involves connections with anti-government military elements from Myanmar. The group has been systematically moving illegal goods through remote forest areas without detection, using their proceeds to buy political influence.