The Arakan Army (AA) has strongly refuted allegations made by the military council linking them to a major drug seizure in Yangon’s South Dagon Township. According to the military council’s statement, drugs worth over 96 billion kyats were seized from a warehouse on Shin Phyu Shin Road in Ward 144 of South Dagon Township on March 6 evening. The seized items included more than 3 tons of ice (methamphetamine) and 200 kilograms of ketamine.
The military council claimed that the drugs were being managed by an alleged AA economic officer named Ye Win (aka) Kyaw Soe Lin and his wife Ma Thida Myint, who owns the Shwe Kaung Tha boat service. They were allegedly preparing to ship the drugs to Malaysia. The council also reported the arrest of five individuals – Than Lwin, Weya Aung, Thant Kaung Set, Ye Yint Naing, and Hla Than Oo – along with three vehicles. The military council further alleged connections to individuals based in the Wa Self-Administered Region and implicated several other suspects in the drug trafficking network.
However, the AA has categorically denied any involvement in the drug seizure, stating that this is a politically motivated attack by the military council aimed at damaging AA’s reputation at a time when the council is facing military setbacks. The AA emphasized that they have absolutely no connection to the drug seizure and condemned the council’s attempt to link them to the case. Furthermore, the AA pointed out that drug trafficking, gambling, and other criminal activities are most prevalent in military council-controlled areas such as Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Mandalay, attributing these issues to corruption and misconduct among high-ranking military council officials. The AA maintained that such accusations are typical tactics employed by the military council when they face military defeats, describing it as their usual pattern of political manipulation and defamation.
