Illegal loggers in 20-minute gun battle with authorities
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Authorities engaged in a pre-dawn gunfight with 10 suspected illegal loggers on the Phanom Dongrak Mountain Range in Si Sa Ket’s Phu Sing district on Sunday, said Huai Sala Wildlife Sanctuary head Trakul Art-aran.
Following the 20-minute gun battle at 2am, after which all of the suspects escaped, 15 special task force soldiers and forestry officials waited until 5am to inspect the scene, where they collected an Ak-47 rifle with 29 bullets, a chainsaw and four “yaba” amphetamine pills.
Authorities had staked out the area since Saturday night following an informant’s tip-off that a group of illegal loggers would sneak into the area located about three kilometres from the Thai-Cambodia border to cut down Siamese rosewood and other hardwood trees.
