In Mae Hong Son, joint authorities inspected and seized"teak logs"nearly 70 logs assembled into a raft floating down the Salween River, believed to have come from the Karen State side and destined for a target area.
At approximately 00:49 on 26 August 2026, Salween National Park officers, together with the 3602 Ranger Company based at Ban Tha Ta Fang, inspected and seized a large timber raft along the Salween Riverbank at Ban Mae Wan, Mae Yuam Subdistrict, Mae Sariang District, Mae Hong Son Province. Upon learning of illegal towing of teak logs from minority areas into Thai border territory, authorities immediately conducted the seizure and documented the scene for legal proceedings.
Mr. Chaiyan Sriyong, Director of Protected Area Regional Office 16, Mae Sariang branch, stated that this operation was a result of integrated efforts between the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and local security agencies. They received a report from the commander of the 3602 Ranger Company about abnormal timber movements, prompting the Salween National Park officials to investigate. They found 60-70 teak logs formed into a raft, emphasizing meticulous evidence collection to prevent the Salween River from being used as a route for illegal timber transport.
Initial examination of the seized logs showed most were old teak logs, with about 10 new logs mixed in, tightly bound together to form a dense raft. Intelligence suggests the raft was assembled and towed from Ban Koke on the Karen National Union (KNU) side, aiming to smuggle it across the Thai border for delivery to a target area within Karen State.
Currently, authorities are safely towing the teak raft ashore to measure precise dimensions, calculate volume, and accurately count the logs. They are also inspecting official stamps on the timber according to legal procedures before preparing seizure records to hand over to investigators. Additionally, they have intensified patrols along the Salween River border to continuously prevent illegal logging and transportation of natural resources.