AA-related drug gang arrested in Yangon with over nearly 100B kyats worth of psychotropic drugs
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Htet Nadi/ Thuta Kyaw (NP News) - March 23
A drug trafficking gang including AA (Arakan Army) was arrested in Yangon with more than 96 billion kyats worth of psychotropic drugs, according to information released by Myanmar Police Force.
A joint team of Narcotics Control Police members conducted a search of a warehouse at No. (546/547), Sinphyu Shin Street, Ward (144), Dagon Myothit (South) Township, Yangon Region, at 7:30 pm on March 6. They arrested Than Lwin, Waiyar Aung (aka) Thar Gyi, Thant Kaung Set (aka) Paung Chain, Ye Yint Naing, and Hla Than Oo (aka) Rakut, seizing 1.2 tons of ice (crystal methamphetamine), along with a TOYOTA HILUX, a TOYOTA LAND CRUISER, and a MERCEDES BENZ vehicle.
After investigating the arrested persons, it was revealed that the seized methamphetamine was smuggled and sold by Than Lwin under the direction of Tin Maung Win, a resident of Pangsang Township, Wa Self-Administered Region. Hein Sithu (aka) Zaw Zaw Aung (aka) Aung Ko Ko (aka) Htin Lin Pyae, who resold methamphetamine from Than Lwin in Yangon, was arrested on Shukhin Thar Road, Thaketa Township, and Tin Hla (aka) Sathit, who resell the psychotropic drugs, was arrested in Ward (104) of Dagon Myothit (South) Township.
According to the information, on March 6 at 9:30 pm, a search was conducted on a HYUNDAI BOX vehicle driven by Kyaw Kyaw Thein (aka) Kyaw Kyaw (aka) Athay Lay on Thudhamma Road, Ward (L), North Okkalapa Township. 1.265 tons of ice (methamphetamine) and 200 kilograms of ketamine were seized from the vehicle. Investigation revealed that the people who managed to transport and sell the psychotropic drugs to Malaysian sea route were Ye Win (aka) Kyaw Soe Lin, the AA business officer, and his wife, Ma Thidar Myint, the owner of the Shwe Kaung Thar boat.
According to the investigation, Min Min Soe, who was responsible for receiving drugs in Yangon and transporting them to the Malaysian sea by the Shwe Kaung Thar boat, was arrested in Loilem, Shan State (South). He admitted that in February 2023, he exported drugs to the Malaysian sea via the Shwe Kaung Thar boat. Myo Min Soe (aka) Ko Myo, who was in charge of transporting drugs to Malaysia, was arrested with a CELSIOR vehicle on Thudhamma Road, North Oakkalapa Township. Authorities seized 1 ton of ice (methamphetamine) from his residence in Ward (49), Dagon Myothit (North) Township. Additionally, three individuals—Kyaw Wai Htun (aka) Thein Htun, (aka) Thant Zin, Yan Shin Aung, and Zaw Zaw Aung who were involved in transporting psychotropic drugs to the Malaysian sea by the Shwe Kaung Thar boat, were arrested in Seikkyi Kanaungto Township. From them, authorities seized 465 tons of ice (methamphetamine) and 200 kilograms of ketamine, with a total estimated value of 96.625 billion kyats. The drugs were found along with the Shwe Kaung Thar boat in Samaduwa Ward (4).
AA Business Officer Ye Win (aka) Kyaw Soe Lin and his wife Ma Thidar Myint are operating with 16 vehicles in Tangyan, Taunggyi, Mandalay and Yangon. In addition to the narcotics charges, they are also facing court proceedings under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, with the intention of seizing the financial benefits and assets obtained from drug trafficking as public funds. –