SI SA KET: Border patrol police and soldiers recovered 148 Siamese rosewood logs worth almost 20 million baht from a pickup truck whose driver narrowly escaped arrest.
The protected phayung was found in the cargo container of a modified Nakhon Pathom-registered pickup abandoned in front of a Buddhist temple in Khun Han district on Tuesday.
You might also like
The unidentified male driver sped through a joint police-military checkpoint on Khun Harn-Pho Krasung Road in Moo 4 village of Huay Chan sub-district as authorities tried to pull him over. They had flagged the truck as it matched the description of a vehicle suspected of being used for smuggling the precious wood.
As police gave chase, the truck’s left-rear tyre exploded and the suspect drove on for about two kilometres before he stopped and ran into the temple. Officers searched the grounds, but could not find him.
Police are investigating further to identify the driver, the pickup’s owner and others involved in the illegal phayung trading.
