Bangkok: “Suchart” establishes the “National Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division” to crack down on forest encroachment and protect natural resources nationwide. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart, has established a special task force for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) to integrate all units under its jurisdiction with security forces to carry out missions to prevent and suppress crimes related to natural resources and the environment nationwide.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, signed an order appointing the “National Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division.” The order aims to establish a central mechanism for unified, transparent, and sustainable enforcement of forestry, wildlife, and environmental laws, leveraging digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency in field inspections and investigations.
The composition of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division consists of an administrative division and an operational division. The administrative division is led by Pol. Maj. Gen. Nantachat Supamongkol, Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who serves as the head of the special task force; Mr. Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, former Director of the National Park Office.
Its duties include supervising, controlling, monitoring, and supporting the operations of all departments, as well as providing strategic advice and coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure effective enforcement of natural resources and environmental laws.
The operations department consists of senior executives from various departments under the Ministry and the police, including the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Head of the Natural Resources Mission Group), Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, and Director-General of the Department of Water Resources.
This includes field officers from various affiliated agencies, such as the Phaya Suea Unit, the Yao Dong Unit, the Prai Phaikhan Unit, the White Shark Unit, and the special task force at the Royal Forest Department and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Among the field task force members is Mr. Mongkol Chaiyaphakdi, the former head of Kaeng Krachan National Park, who was previously transferred to the position of Director of the Conservation and Resource Protection Division, Protected Area Office 14 (Tak). He will join the field team to carry out the mission of inspecting encroached areas and protecting the western forest.
The main mission of the “National Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division” includes preventing and suppressing forest encroachment, wildlife trafficking, and deforestation. Additionally, it will investigate and prosecute environmental offenses such as waste dumping, wastewater, or industrial pollution, integrate information and spatial evidence with security agencies, and apply technology and AI systems to real-time monitoring and tracking.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment’s order states that the “Natural Resources and Environment Task Force” will serve as the primary mechanism for coordinating the work of all departments under the ministry to stop the encroachment and destruction of natural resources and the environment. No one is above the law, and all encroached areas must be investigated and prosecuted fairly.