Salawin National Park officers, a ranger task force and local community leaders have intercepted 18 illegally cut teak logs floating along the Salween River near the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Hong Son province.
The discovery was made around 2pm yesterday during a joint river patrol involving the national park team, the 3602nd Ranger Company and Ban Tha Ta Fang village leaders.
The officials spotted the 18 teak logs, tied together into a raft, stuck against rocks in the section of river between Ban Tha Ta Fang and Huai Mae Po.
The operation was part of routine border security efforts aimed at curbing illicit logging and natural resource exploitation along the boundary.
Park authorities noted that the volume of confiscated timber has yet to be calculated, pending formal measurement procedures.
Following the seizure, park officials coordinated with the Karen National Union (KNU) Forest Protection and Conservation Unit. stationed at Ban Da Khuay in Myanmar’s Papun district to cross-verify the incident.
The logs have now been secured and transported to the Salawin National Park Protection Unit SW1 (Tha Ta Fang) for official measurement, evidence collection and further legal processing under the National Parks Act B.E. 2562 (2019) and the Forest Act B.E. 2484 (1941).
Chaichan Sriyong, director of the 16th Conservation Area Management Office (Mae Sariang Branch), described the operation as a testament to effective cross-border collaboration.
He confirmed that the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will maintain rigorous patrols along the Salween River to prevent forest depletion.
Likhit Waiprom, head of Salawin National Park, stated that investigators are currently gathering evidence to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
He also urged local residents to report any suspicious logging activities directly to park authorities or security personnel.
