Police Hunt Suspects of Violent Robbery in Downtown Rangoon

By Htun Htun 22 March 2017

RANGOON — Police are searching for two suspects in connection with a violent robbery at a company office on 50th Street in downtown Rangoon’s Botahtaung Township at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

U Min Swe, the 60-year-old owner of New Wave Services Co., was stabbed in his arm and thigh as robbers made off with cash and jewelry from the office.

Neighbors were made aware of the incident by U Min Swe shouting from the veranda of the office at 8 a.m.

“We only knew about it when [U Min Swe] shouted for help at 8 a.m.; he was covered in blood and tied up,” said a neighbor living opposite the office on the lower block of 50th Street, who requested anonymity.

“U Min Swe didn’t suffer fatal wounds,” said a police officer from Botahtaung Township Police Station. “We’re still looking for two suspects,” he added.

According to police, robbers took a gold ring, 200,000 kyats ($150), two bank passbooks, and a wallet with U Min Swe’s national ID card.

“The office has CCTV cameras but we switched the lights off when we left the office on Monday, so I’m afraid they didn’t record anything,” said Ko Myo Khaing Tun, director of New Wave Services Co.

U Min Swe is a retired Burma Army colonel and is currently receiving treatment at Rangoon People’s Hospital.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.