SI SA KET — Ninety-six phayung (Siamese rosewood) logs were seized after a pickup truck loaded with the poached timber veered off a road and plunged into a creek during a police chase in Khun Han district in the early hours of Thursday.
A mixed team of soldiers, police and forestry officers spotted the tarpaulin-covered pickup with an Udon Thani licence plate arriving at Huay Chan village in Khun Han district around 4am.
On seeing the officers, the driver sped away, and the team gave chase. As the fleeing pickup arrived at Lam Huay Tha bridge in tambon Si, it veered off the road and plunged into the creek.
The driver and passengers fled the partially submerged vehicle, scrambling to safety and abandoning the covered cargo.
When officials pulled off the tarpaulin, they found illegally-felled phayung logs in the back of the sunk vehicle. A total of 96 logs, about two metres long, were retrieved from the vehicle.
The pickup truck was later pulled from the creek and handed over to Khun Han police station.
A white Toyota pickup truck loaded with illegally cut phayung logs, submerged nose down in a creek after running off the road during a police chase in Si Sa Ket in the early hours of Thursday. (Photo by Sermpong Thongsamrit)