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 worth over 96 billion kyats. According to the military council’s statement, authorities seized more than 3 tons of ice (methamphetamine) and 200 kilograms of ketamine during a raid on March 6 at around 7:30 PM at a warehouse located on Shin Phyu Shin Road in Ward 144, South Dagon Township. The military council claimed that the drugs were being managed by alleged AA economic officer Ye Win (aka) Kyaw Soe Lin and his wife Ma Thida Myint, who owns the Shwe Kaung Tha ferry service, and were reportedly being prepared for shipment to Malaysia.
The military council’s statement detailed that five individuals – Than Lwin, Weyar Aung, Than Kaung Set, Ye Yint Naing, and Hla Than Oo – were arrested along with three vehicles. The drugs were allegedly transported under the direction of Win Maung Win from Pangsang, Wa Self-Administered Division, with Than Lwin acting as the courier. The council also reported the arrest of additional suspects in Yangon who were allegedly involved in local distribution, including Hein Si Thu, Zaw Zaw Aung, and Tin Hla.
The AA has issued a strong rebuttal to these allegations, characterizing them as politically motivated attacks by a military council facing battlefield losses. The AA stated that drug trafficking and gambling operations are most prevalent in military council-controlled areas such as Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Mandalay, with high-ranking military council officials themselves being involved in these illegal activities. The AA emphasized that such accusations are typical political smear tactics employed by the military council when they face military setbacks.
In their statement, the AA categorically denied any connection to narcotics trafficking and pointed out that the military council’s pattern of making such allegations during times of military defeats is a well-known political tactic. The AA further asserted that drug trafficking and other criminal activities persist due to corruption and bribery among high-ranking military council officials, claiming they have evidence to support these assertions. The organization maintained that these allegations are part of a deliberate campaign to damage their political reputation and deflect attention from the military council’s own involvement in illegal activities.
