Twenty-one people were arrested in Thailand’s Pa Phu Nam Khem National Park for illegal logging.
“The suspects confessed to the crime but claimed they weren’t aware they were on national land,” Police Lieutenant Jirabhop Bhuridej told the Bangkok Post.
Bhuridej is the head of the Central Investigation Bureau, which led the operation. After receiving a tip from local villagers, they successfully apprehended the culprits along with five power saws, two backhoes, two trucks, four tractors, and eight liters of petrol, according to the Post.
The workers, who said they had been hired by unnamed individuals to chop down rubber trees, were charged with violating the National Forest Reserve Act of 1964 and illegal logging. They now await prosecution while in Bang Saphan police custody.
The National Forest Reserve Act of 1964 was established to preserve Thailand’s reserved forests. Per the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, forests cover nearly 32% of the country. Forests are complex ecosystems that many species call home. Trees play a crucial role in water cycles, air purification, and carbon storage — all of which affect climate change, which is why protecting these forested areas is so important.
Illegal logging is a worldwide issue. Brazilian environmental officials seized the equivalent of 5,000 trucks’ worth of timber from one of the most heavily logged areas of the Amazon rainforest. Despite the EU ban in 2021, Poland has continued to import Myanmar teak wood and now faces pressure to crack down. Similarly, the Québec government is under fire for its lax policies in protecting the province’s boreal forests.
Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?
Forest destruction is a crisis that impacts everyone. According to the WWF, there are only half as many trees in existence as there were before humans evolved, and 15 billion trees are chopped down every year worldwide. Most deforestation is credited to the production of meat, soy, and palm oil. Not eating meat a few times a week may not seem like a big deal, but it can make all the difference. Learning about and boycotting companies and brands that contribute to deforestation are another way to help reduce forest destruction.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.