YANGON — Police seized more than three billion kyats (US$2.2 million) worth of yaba pills from two Myanmar Army soldiers in Rakhine State’s Maungdaw, according to the state government.
Combined forces of the Maungdaw Township police and drug enforcement squad seized more than 1.8 million yaba pills from two soldiers on Monday as they checked a suspicious Toyota Hilux which broke down near the entrance gate to Maungdaw. The two soldiers belong to No. 828 Supply and Transport Unit of Myanmar Army, according to the state government.
“The two soldiers said they were from No. 828 Supply and Transport Unit based in Buthidaung. The drug squad has opened case against them. But according to law, they will be brought to military tribunal since they are soldiers,” said U Min Aung, the municipal minister of Rakhine State.
The two are privates Lu Shae and Kyaw Sein Tun and charged with drug possession, according to U Min Aung.
“The market price of the seizure is estimated to be around 3.7 billion kyats. The pink and yellow pills have WY logos and were carried in jute bags,” he said.
Drug seizures have been frequent since last year in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Last year, more than 50 million yaba pills were seized in two separate drug busts in Maungdaw.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.