OFFICIALS of Thong Pha Phum National Park in Kanchanaburi province together with soldiers and Border Patrol Police moved in on a gang of 15 to 20 illegal gold miners as they were digging and panning on top of a mountain but managed to arrest only one suspect after chasing them through the thick forest, Naewna newspaper said today (Nov. 5).
The raid followed a surveillance camera clip showing this gang trekking up the mountain on Nov. 1-2 clearly with the intention of illegally mining for gold.
The park officials together with soldiers from Lad Ya Task Force, Surasee Task Force, and the 135th Border Patrol Police disguised themselves as villagers so as to not alert the perpetrators and travelled on foot and by boat through dense forest, valleys and steep mountain ridges for several hours and at approximately 1.30 p.m. yesterday reached the spot where mining was taking place.
Upon identifying themselves to arrest the gang, they all fled and while the officials and the supporting team chased them they only managed to catch one suspect as they are very familiar with this forested mountain peak.
The arrested suspect was identified as Mr. Thanawut (surname withheld), 31, an unregistered resident of Pilok subdistrict, Thong Pha Phum district of this province.
Six items were seized including a cloth bag with 2kg of soil, a mobile phone and panning equipment.
It was later found out that the illegal mining actually took place at the adjacent Khao Laem National Park.
Mr. Yutthapong Damsrisuk, superintendent of Thong Pha Phum National Park, said that crackdown on illegal gold mining from late last year to this year had netted 42 offenders while two plots of Class 1A watershed forest, totalling 27 rai, have been destroyed.
CAPTION:
Officials, soldiers and Border Patrol Police at the spot where illegal gold mining was taking place atop a mountain and the suspect they arrested. Photos – Naewna
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