A total of 26 drug traffickers were arrested with Malaysia-bound narcotic drugs worth 2872 billion kyats, according to a statement released by the Information Team of the State Administration Council on May 16.
On April 26, four men including Thein Zaw were arrested on board the Armanthit boat carrying 618 kilograms of ICE in 31 bags about 60 nautical miles southwest of Pyapon, Ayeyawady Region.
According to the statements of those arrested, on April 27, 12 men including San Lwin were arrested on board a cargo ship about 180 nautical miles west of Kawthaung Township, Taninthayi Region, carrying 220 bags of ICE weighing 3,475 kilograms in 220 bags along with 2,000 kilograms of ketamine, the statement said.
A man named Chit San who transported the drugs was also arrested at Aungtharaphu KTV bar in Pyapon. Upon further information from the statements of those arrested, on the evening of April 27, Nay Paing Lin (aka Aung Naing Kywe), logistics incharge of AA group that was involved in transporting and selling the drugs, and three other suspects of the crime ring including Kyaw Min Than (aka Maung Lone) were arrested at FMI Housing in Hlaingthaya Township, Yangon Region, the statement said.
On the morning of May 1, three other AA group members who were involved in transporting and selling the drugs including Paing Paing Htwe (aka Aung Naing Htwe (aka Aung Naing Thu) (aka Paing Paing), were arrested in Pyay, Bago Region, and on May 6 evening, a suspect in the chain of crime, Kaung Myat Thu, was arrested in Hlegu Township, Yangon Region.
According to the statements of those arrested, on the evening of May 11, Nay Myint Htun (aka Pyay Soe) (aka Lugyi), deputy logistics incharge of AA group, was arrested at a house in Aungthabyay Street, Pale Myothit, Mingalardon Township, Yangon Region, with 1,000 kilograms of ketamine hidden in 32 plastic bags, the statement said.
In the incidents, 26 drug traffickers were arrested with 4,093 kilograms of ICE (current market price: 25 million kyats per kilogram), 3,000 kilograms of ketamine (current market price: 60 million kyats per kilogram) worth 282.325 billion kyats.
According to the statements of those arrested, the AA group is engaged in extensive drug trafficking to obtain the necessary funds to maintain the group and purchase weapons and ammunition. The drugs seized were purchased from Ko Sai and Ko Tayoke (aka Sai Aung Lu), who were left arrested in Wan Hai Village, Kyaythee Township, Shan State (South), and destined for Malaysia to sell, the statement said.
Therefore, measures are being taken to take effective legal action against those arrested as well as being taken to identify and arrest the remaining two suspects including Ko Sai and their associates. If any information about drug trafficking is received, relevant authorities can be confidentially informed of it, and the informant and those who cooperate to arrest will be rewarded appropriately, the statement said.
