BANGKOK, June 18 — The Royal Thai Police has begun an operation to crack down on environmental crime, including illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.
Pol Gen Chalermkiat Srivorakhan, Inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police and director of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, held a meeting Tuesday to implement plans and strategies in combating environmental crime in the country.
Invited to the conference were representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, three branches of the military, police officers from across the country and the private sector.
Gen Chalermkiat said that the meeting was intended to strengthen Thailand’s fight against illegal logging, encroachment and trafficking of plants and animals nationwide.
The crackdown operation is being conducted from today, June 18, to July 17.
The country has been color-coded into three zones–red, yellow and green–for monitoring the crimes nationwide.
The red zones cover 20 northern provinces where illegal logging is widespread, especially black wood and teak wood logging, while encroachment mainly occurs in Northern and Eastern regions, and hunting wildlife is found in every province, including Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market, where wild animals are sold.
Prevention measures include raising public awareness and encouraging the public to get involved by reporting any related crimes to hotline number 1136.
