Authorities Seize Illegal Rosewood Logs in Lampang Raid
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Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin ordered the Royal Forest Department to expand its investigation into illegal logging of protected Phayung in Lampang province. Officials seized four Phayung logs and a modified six-wheel truck during a joint operation.
On October 27, 2026, Minister Suchat received a report from Forest Department Director-General Nikorn Siraphojanan regarding the results of an operation to seize illegal Phayung and arrest suspects in Lampang. The operation involved integrated cooperation between agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, local administration, police, and related units to prevent and suppress illegal logging and timber transport, as well as to protect the country's forest resources sustainably.
The operation was led by Kranpol Saengthong, Director of Forest Resource Management Office 3 (Lampang), along with Somkhuan Huaihongthong, Director of Lampang Forest Center; Kamon Rangmani, Director of Forest Protection and Fire Control Division; officers from Forest Protection Units Lp.20 (Mae Hued) and Lp.19 (Mae Pong); and Lampang Special Forest Operations Team 3. They worked with Nga District administration led by District Chief Somjit Chularoen, the District Security Deputy, Nga District Territorial Defense Volunteers, Region 3 Prevention and Suppression Center officers, Tham Pha Thai National Park officers, and Lampang Provincial Police Investigation Team 1.
During inspection near the southern road of Ban Khun Mae Hued, Village 4, Ban Hued Subdistrict, Nga District, Lampang — within the Mae Moat National Reserved Forest — officers found two Phayung logs hidden on a modified blue-grey Isuzu six-wheel truck with a rear-mounted crane, bearing Lampang license plates, totaling 5.17 cubic meters. Two more Phayung logs were found in a nearby corn plantation, totaling 3.50 cubic meters. All four state-owned logs amounted to 8.67 cubic meters, valued at approximately 303,534 baht.
Officers arrested one 33-year-old suspect at the scene and seized the six-wheel truck along with related equipment: a spotlight, iron crowbars, rope, and plastic sheeting as evidence.
Following the seizure, the suspect, witnesses, and evidence were handed to Nga Police Station, Lampang, under Criminal Case No. 370/2026 and Asset Seizure Case No. 264/2026 for legal proceedings under the Forest Act and National Park Act. Authorities are coordinating expanded investigations to uncover the truth and identify any additional involved parties, following evidence and due process.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Royal Forest Department, continues to prioritize prevention and suppression of forest resource crimes, integrating cooperation across all sectors to monitor, inspect, and enforce laws fairly — to prevent damage to natural resources, preserve forest integrity, and pass on valuable forest resources to the public and future generations sustainably.
