Roi-et botanical garden chief transferred pending probe into rosewood theft

29 Sept 02:08 Key points summarised by AI

The chief of Roi-et's Dong Ma-I botanical garden, Wison Kudtalang, was temporarily transferred amidst an investigation into his alleged involvement in a rosewood theft.
About 30 armed men raided the garden last Saturday, stealing seized rosewood valued at approximately 1.9 million baht using a truck equipped with a crane.
Suspicion arose due to Wison's delayed reporting of the serious incident and his alleged complicity in withdrawing 200,000 baht from an ATM with the thieves, which he reported much later.
The department director-general, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, is seeking high-level police assistance to investigate the local gang, noting this is the second such rosewood theft incident.

Nationwide crackdown launched on illegal nominee shareholders and land holdings

Today 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal Thai nominee shareholders in foreign-run businesses and land holdings to safeguard national interests.
The government will integrate efforts across all relevant agencies to target illicit foreign operations, forced sales of illegally acquired property, and high-risk land ownership schemes.
Key strategies include auditing suspect land and building holdings, establishing a long-term monitoring system, and cross-referencing data from various authorities to trace ultimate beneficial owners.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that no influential figures or corrupt officials are above the law, promising straightforward prosecution, asset seizures, and protection for enforcing officers.
Beyond land ownership, the integrated crackdown will also extend to tackle transnational crimes, including drug and human trafficking.