Bangkok: A mysterious road construction project in Pak Chong, involving forest encroachment, is showing suspicious signs. Villagers witnessed a group of investors secretly transporting seized vehicles out of the area at night, using a route that had been illegally encroached upon and confiscated by the Forestry Department. Villagers are urging the police to handle the case fairly and impartially, believing that wealthy investors are behind the scheme.
According to Thai News Agency, following the discovery by villagers of a mysterious road encroaching on forest land in the Khao Siad Oa-Khao Nok Yung-Khao Ang Hin area of Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, where villagers insisted the road never existed, relevant agencies investigated and found evidence of illegal logging. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, then ordered legal action against all perpetrators. The Royal Forest Department has already filed a complaint with the Pak Chong Police Station, and several private organizations have also filed additional complaints.
Regarding the legal case, the police clarified that it is being handled in two parts. The first part concerns the main case where forestry officials and a private company filed complaints about forest encroachment. In this case, the complainants have been investigated, but the accused have not yet been summoned for questioning. They admitted that this is partly because they are awaiting clarification from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division regarding whether the case file will be transferred for their own handling.
In the second case, four hired loggers were arrested. During questioning, all four gave consistent statements that someone had advertised for logging services via social media, but they didn't know who the employer was. They were arrested shortly after starting the logging operation and therefore had not received their payment. Further investigation is needed in this case as well.
However, despite the police's explanation, villagers do not believe that the police will actually prosecute those who orchestrated the logging for the road construction. Villagers still see influential figures from the area regularly driving on this road. They question why the Forestry Department, after seizing the land, hasn't completely closed the road, but instead continues to allow its use. They fear that allowing outsiders access could lead to the destruction of evidence while legal proceedings are underway.
Recently, villagers discovered construction machinery being moved out of the forest area at night to clear the road construction encroaching on the land. They believe this is crucial evidence that may link to the mastermind behind the project, so they monitored the movements and called the police to investigate why vehicles potentially belonging to the suspects were being removed from the area.
Initially, police advised residents to file a report against those who were transporting the machinery.
Villagers insisted that authorities should prosecute the group of investors behind the forest encroachment fairly and impartially, not just prosecute the workers and let the matter fade away. They also called for this case to serve as an example to prevent similar actions from happening again.