POLICE ARE hunting for a man who a tourist saw dumping around 50 litres of foul-smelling oil at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong and fled with the stench spreading around the vicinity and even reaching nearby condominium, Naewna newspaper said this evening (May 21).
Mr. Chanu Dechthanyanon, the head of Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet marine park, assigned his assistant, Mr. Noree Tatha, and other officials to immediately go and inspect the pollution.
The dumped oil, which upon inspection appeared to be engine oil, had spread across a three-metre patch of the beach. This type of oil is sticky and concentrated which prevents it from spreading to a wide area.
Ms. Benjawan, 21, an entrepreneur at this beach, said both she and some condo residents went to the beach to search for the source of the foul smell and found this pile of heavy oil and immediately informed the officials.
A tourist told officials that he saw a man in his 50s pouring a gallon of oil at the beach and walking away.
Rayong police are hunting for the perpetrator to take legal action against him and suspect that the motive could be to stir trouble. They are searching for clues and checking all the surveillance cameras in the area to track him down.
This seaside city suffered a big pollution problem in January and February this year after Star Petroleum Refining Plc’s undersea pipeline leaked 400,000 litres of crude,
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The foul-smelling oil dumped at Rayong beach. Photo: Naewna
Also read: Another oil spill at the same spot off Rayong
Rayong shakes off oil spill crisis, unveils special event
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Bigger oil slick just 3 km away from Rayong shore
