NONG KHAI, Nov 12 – Four alleged smugglers, two Thais and two Lao nationals, were arrested in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nong Khai with exotic Siamese Rosewood in two pickup trucks.
Provincial forest protection unit head Rasamee Nanthan in Nong Khai and local police confiscated three planks of Siamese rosewood 40 centimetres wide, 13 cm thick and two metres long each, worth more than Bt400,000 in total.
Called payung locally, Siamese Rosewood is known scientifically as Dalbergia cochinchinensis and its trade is carefully monitored.
Four smugglers confessed they were transporting the wood to cross the Mekong River to sell.
