DSI goes to Chaiyaphum Province to inspect 1,500 rais of land located in permanent forest, Special Case No. 108/2563

DSI goes to Chaiyaphum Province to inspect 1,500 rais of land located in permanent forest, Special Case No. 108/2563

       Today (Tuesday, December 21, 2021), the Director-General of the DSI, Mr. Triyarith Temahivong, and his deputy Pol.Maj. Yutana Preadum overseeing the Bureau of Regional Operation, ordered the Bureau Director Mr. Mahesak Punsagna, his deputy Mr. Woraphot Maihom, and the Head of Special Case Operation Center Area 3, Pol.Lt. Settavoot Saipong, to join forces with the related agencies (comprising the Special Suppression Task Force (Payak Prai), the Forest Resources Management Office No.8 (Nakhon Ratchasima), the Forest Protection Unit Khor-Yor.6 (Wang Takhe), the Deputy District-Chief of Phakdi Chumphon District, Chaiyaphum Province, the 4^th Operation Coordination Center of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), and Chaiyaphum Provincial Internal Security Operations Command, the local police officers, the local leaders, the special case advisors, and the officials from the Maps and Geo-information Technology Division, the Bureau of Technology and Information Inspection Center of the DSI) to inspect the forest land plot in the area of the permanent forest, Laem Thong Subdistrict, Phakdi Chumphon District, Chaiyaphom Province (the special case no.108/2563).

       The case resulted from the DSI receiving the complaint from the Royal Forest Department to take legal actions against the group of capitalists buying up lands in the area of “Phu Khieo forest” for planting rubber trees and building houses in the area. The aforesaid lands’ approximately 1,500 rais, was located in the permanent forest area “forest no.10 plot no.1”, subject to the resolution of cabinets on November 12, 1963 stipulating it as the national treasure, in the area of Laem Thong Subdistrict, Phakdi Chumphon District, Chaiyaphum Province. Because it was unclear whether this case was a special case or not. The Director-General, therefore, issued the order to investigate the case and found the circumstance and commission of illegally constructing, reclaiming or setting the fire or committing any acts for deforestation or occupying or possessing the forest for oneself or others, in the areas of more than 25 rais without permission of the competent authority pursuant to Section 54 read with Section 72 ter of the Forest Act, B.E. 2484 (1941). Besides, investigations revealed the crime commission of occupation, clearing, or burning the forest in the area of over 50 rais without permission of the competent authority pursuant to Section 9 read with Section 108 bis of the Land Code. The 2 said offences are the offences with punishment as determined in the annex attached to the Notification of the Board of Special Case (No.7) B.E. 2562 (2019), clauses 20 and 23 respectively. In addition, its nature is pursuant to Section 21 paragraph one (1)(a) and (b). Thus, on November 24, 2020, the Director-General approved to accept this case as the special case no. 108/2563.

       The Director-General gave priority to the aforesaid case and assigned the Bureau of Regional Operation and the Bureau of Technology and Information Inspection Center to work in the field with related agencies for detection of satellite coordinates to identify the land and territory where trespasses, occupation and possession happened, to analyze aerial photographs, to track the aforesaid land’s yearly retrospective utilization by employing an unmanned aerial vehicle (Drone) to take horizontal and vertical pictures displaying the current utilization of forest land for use as evidence of the case. From investigation and inquiry, it was found the aforesaid land plot located next to the Tabo – Huai-Yai Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, covers more than 400,000 rais of the forest fertility areas and there are many wildlife living in the area, such as elephants, bears, wild oxes, tigers, barking dears, and squirrels etc. If inquiry reveals any persons related to this crime commission, the DSI will expand its inquiry for legal actions against offender.

Dated December 21, 2021