Junta media reports seven drug busts in a month in Maungdaw Twsp

By Admin 08 Nov 2023

DMG Newsroom
8 November 2023, Maungdaw

More than 700 million kyats worth of “WY/R” methamphetamine pills, also known as yaba, have been seized in Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township since October, according to Rakhine Daily, a mouthpiece of the Arakan State military council.

There were reportedly seven drug busts between October 4, and November 8, with six of those busts taking place last month.

A social activist said the drug trade has thrived because of the vacuum of authority created by the parallel administrations of Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakan Army (AA).

“The military council and the AA run parallel administrations, and neither side effectively handles the illegal drug trade. So [drug dealers] take advantage of the gap in the administration, and trade drugs freely,” he said.

Two men were arrested in possession of 18,000 methamphetamine pills worth 36 million kyats near Taungpyo Letwe Village in Maungdaw Township on November 6, according to Rakhine Daily.

On October 29, two men were also arrested with 9,500 methamphetamine pills worth 19 million kyats in Maungdaw town. Suspects were also arrested with 83,250 pills worth 166.5 million kyats in the north of Yaymyattaung Village on October 23 and in another case, 146,250 pills worth 290 million kyats were seized on the Maungdaw-Kyeinchaung road on October 22.

On October 4, four carriers were arrested along with 70,000 pills worth 140 million kyats at a checkpoint on the Buthidaung-Maungdaw road.

The suspects and yaba pills have been handed over to relevant police stations, and police have opened cases against them under the country’s anti-narcotics law, Rakhine Daily reported.

Observers say the illicit drug trade continues to thrive in Arakan State because only pushers and carriers are arrested in drug busts, while drug kingpins continue to operate freely.

Drug abuse has become common even among adolescents in Maungdaw Township, said resident Ko Pan Kyaw Du.

“Authorities do not educate about the dangers of drugs. They only arrest carriers or pushers, and never trace down to drug barons,” he said.

Though Arakan State does not produce narcotics on an appreciable scale, drugs can be bought easily in both towns and rural villages.

“Everyone is responsible for fighting illicit drugs, but no one is doing it, and drug abuse has significantly increased as a result. And only a small amount of drugs is seized, and drug abuse has only increased,” said former lawmaker U Tun Hla Sein from Maungdaw Township.

In two of the biggest drug hauls in Arakan State in recent years, around 20 billion kyats worth of methamphetamine pills were seized at the Pe Padone checkpoint in Ann Township in April of last year, and around 10 billion kyats worth of methamphetamine pills were seized from an oil bowser at the Kyeekanpyin checkpoint in Maungdaw in August 2021.