PHNOM PENH -- Three people who claimed to be staff members of an environmental organisation have been charged with extorting money from villagers in exchange for letting them keep illegally harvested timber. Huon Heng, 47, Heng Hong, 43, and Ly Long, 23, said they belonged to a body called Interception Forestry and Wild Animals Violation in Pursat province. Krakor district deputy police chief Em Sok said that on Monday morning, the trio apprehended villagers with seven hand tractors carrying timber from a forest. Mr Sok said the suspects accused the villagers of illegally cutting down trees from protected forests. The trio demanded 200,000 riel (1710 baht) per tractor in exchange for allowing the villagers to take the timber home.

Source: Bangkok Post May 03, 2017 09:33 UTC