Armed Gang Robs Myanmar Police in Rakhine

By Min Aung Khine 3 January 2020

SITTWE – A group of armed men on Thursday stole the salaries, worth over 4 million kyats (US$2,700), from border police in Rathedaung Township in northern Rakhine State where the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army are fighting.

Four border guards from the Thazin Myaing outpost in Rathedaung were robbed of the post’s December salaries on their return from Zedi Pyin police station in the same township, where they collected the wages.

An unnamed Rathedaung police officer confirmed the robbery. “I heard that they were robbed near Pyin Shae Village on their return to the outpost,” the source said.

Sources told The Irrawaddy that two of the officers went missing following the shooting.

Residents said there was an exchange of gunfire. There has been no official comment on the incident.

Colonel Win Zaw Oo, a spokesman for the Myanmar military’s Western Command, told The Irrawaddy: “I heard about that. But I don’t know the details.”

The head of Rathedaung police, Major Thein Wai Phyo, and township administrator U Aung Myint Thein said they did not know any details.

In November, two masked men stole more than 200 million kyats (US$136,000) from the Kyauktaw branch of the state-owned Myanma Economic Bank while they were transporting cash to a vault inside the township’s police station.

Police have since then detained bank officials for interrogation but the robbers have not been apprehended.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

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