With intention of establishing drug free-country by 2014, government launched 15-year Drug Elimination Plan Ywet Sit is drug kingpin, firearms smuggler
YANGON, 27 April — The following is the translation of clarification made by CCDAC Secretary Director-General Brig-Gen Khin Yi of Myanmar Police Force on endeavours of Myanmar in narcotic drugs eradication at the Press Conference No 4/2006 in Kengtung Yesterday.
Although Myanmar is generally known in connection with the infamous “Golden Triangle”, few people know or try to understand the real situation as well as the underlying root causes of the problem that we face.
In this connection, I would like to take this opportunity to explain the efforts that the Government of Myanmar has made to eliminate the drug scourge as a national duty. This calls for a brief explanation on the background scenario of how opium poppy cultivation and illicit drugs production came into Myanmar in the first place. So allow me to touch briefly on the background history. Poppy cultivation started to take a firm root in northeastern regions of Myanmar during the colonial period in the late l9th century and early 20th century, consequently making the ethnic races living in the northeastern part of our country relying on poppy cultivation as livelihood. In other words, this is an evil inheritance that our people had to bear and live with since colonial days. If we look back into history, since the 15th century, the Indochina peninsular and India were colonized by the British, Dutch, French and Portuguese with their superior military might. India and Myanmar became British colonies in 1852 and 1885 respectively, Myanmar being governed by the Governor of India. Meanwhile, with the intention of sustaining long-term enslavement of China, opium was imported affecting addiction among the large Chinese commu-nities. Consequently, this led to the Opium Wars, when China fought back the British. Under British rule after the Three Opium Wars, opium poppy was legally culti-vated in the highlands of Yunnan Province bordering Kachin and Shan States of Myanmar. Thus, over the years, the custom of poppy cultivation spilled over into the Kachin and Shan States. Evidence shows that after the British colonized Myanmar in 1885, opium poppy was legally allowed to be cultivated and tax was levied in the Kachin State and eastern side of the Thanlwin River, Opium addicts were registered and licensed opium dens operated openly through-out the country.
The increasing complexity of the situation in the Golden Triangle was aggravated by the incursion of US CIA supported Kuo Ming Tan (KMT) troops into the Kyaing Tong area in 1949-50, driven out of China by the Communist Party led by Mao Tse Tung. The KMT entren-ched in this region and quickly got into the lucrative drug business. The government laun-ched Naga-naing Opera-tions against the intruding KMT and drove them out, However, remnants of KMT are still active in this very Kyaing Tong region where you are visiting and the Custom of poppy cultivation spread to northern Shan and Kachin State. Poppy was cultivated extensively in the remote mountainous border areas and widely trafficked in the border areas of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, later came to be infamously known as the Golden Triangle. Thus, if we look back into history on how the opium and drug trade took root in this region, it is quite obvious that this was result of colonialism, adopted and implemented by the western countries in Myanmar as an excuse in those times.
Let me continue with the efforts of the succes-sive governments of the Union of Myanmar in the fight against drugs.
As you are aware, Myanmar is a country where Theravada Budd-hism is predominant and thus the abstinence of drugs and alcohol is prevalent due to the influence of religion, culture, social traditions and customs. During the reign of King Badon (1782-I829’. he decreed a ban on drugs and alcohol. Similarly, King Thibaw decreed a ban on drugs and alcohol in addition to eating beef and entrusted strict governance to town mayors.
After independence, the Anti-Fascist People’s Liberation Party govern-ment launched major offensives against the intruding KMT as already stated above. The government also formed an “Opium Inquiry Commission” in 1951 and acted against opium addiction. crop substitu-tion, rehabilitation of drug addicts and supervised strict compliance of the Opium Act in the Shan State. It also enacted compulsory registration Act of opium addicts in 1955.
The Caretaker Military Government in 1959 strongly supported crop substitution programmes in the eastern regions of Thanlwin River.
In 1962, the Revolutionary Council Government’s first undertaking in the international forum was to sign the 1961 UN Convention and ratified it in 1963. The government followed the provisions of the UN conventions. In 1974, the Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Law was promulgated. The Law comprised prohi-bitions on cultivation, production, processing, possession, transporta-tion, transfer and sales of narcotic drugs with strict penalties. The Burma Socialist Program-mes Party in 1975 passed a resolution in the Parliament that called for the entire people of Myanmar to actively participate in the fight against drugs as a national concern. The Ministry of Home and Religious Affairs by law formed the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control on 3 February 1976 with nine sub-committees. The State and Division Drug Abuse Control Committees were also formed.
In addition, between 1976 and 1988, the Myanmar Armed Forces staged Moe Hein Operations, Nga Ye Pan Operations, Taung Yan Shin Operations, Taung Hteik Pan Operations, and Aung Moe Hein Operations.
These campaigns targeted clandestine heroin refineries run by insurgents and also eradicated poppy fields. I wish to draw your attention that altogether 93 officers and enlisted men sacrificed their lives while 531 got wounded during the campaigns. In addition, after 1988 the Armed Forces launched two major operations “Mong Kyut” and “Bar Gyan” Operations against drug traffickers in the eastern Shan State. During the period of September 1988 and 1998, 259 military personnel sacrificed their lives while 937 got wounded. This is a clear testimony of the commitment of the government in the fight against drugs. These insurgent groups, who initially gave political and ethnic issues as the causes behind their insurgency, gradually become in-volved in the drug business themselves to support their movements.
The government profoundly believes that national reconciliation plays an essential role in bringing peace and stability to the country which in turn enable all round development programmes in the border regions lagging behind the mainstream of the country. In this context, in 1989 the Central Committee and Work Committees were formed for the development of the border areas and upgrading the living standards of the national races to gradually eliminate reliance on poppy cultivation as a livelihood. Due to the sincere intentions and programmes of the government, 17 insurgent groups came back into the legal fold and engaged themselves in the development of their own special regions.
With a view to effectively implementing the border area development progra- mmes, the government laid down the following two strategies;
- To accelerate preventive works on drug menace in all aspects as a national concern.
- To gradually liqui-date the habit of poppy cultivation in border areas while raising the social and economic lives of indigenous races living there.
Supply Reduction, Demand Reduction and Law Enforcement measures were taken as tactics while applying the three methods of convincing the poppy farmers, drug producers and users of their wrongful way of thinking, facilitating the establishment of communication links between brethrens national races residing in hilly regions and low lands, and raising the social and economic status of national races residing in the border areas.
In order to gain momentum of the implementation programmes, the Central Committee and Work Committees were formed in 1989 and short term, medium term and long-term projects were laid down. Also, the Ministry for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs was established in 1992. ln 1993 August 13, the Border Area and National Races Development Law was enacted. Realizing the sincere intention of the Government, the ethnic groups fully cooperated with the govemment and embarked on their own programmes to develop their respective regions. The Special Region (4) of the Eastern Shan State launched a 6-year project in 1991 and became free of opium poppy in 1997 April 22. A museum was built to commemorate the success of establishing an opium free region Kokant Special region (1) followed suit by successfully banning and announcing opium poppy free in 2003. A Drug Museum was built in 2000 December 27. You will be aware that the Wa Special Region (2) had also totally banned poppy cultivation since the poppy season of 2005.
With the intention of establishing a drug free-country by 2014, the government launched a 15-year Drug Elimination Plan in 1999 with three 5-year phases. This is in tandem with the ASEAN vision of Drug Free ASEAN-2015, but our objective is 2014 which is one year ahead.
The first 5-year phase was from 1999-2000 to 2003-2004 covering 22 townships in the Shan State. The second 5-year phase started in 2004-5 to 2008-9 comprising 20 townships from Shan and Kachin States while the third phase will commence from 2009-10 to 2013-14 covering 9 townships from Shan, Kachin, Kayah and Chin States. We have now reached the second year of the second 5-year phase. The total budget is estimated to be 33,588 million kyat and 150 million US dollars. Let me take this opportunity to state that for this undertaking, we do not have any international assistance whatsoever but the govemment is committed to use its own resources to fulfil this commitment,During the first 5-year phase, a total budget of 676 million kyat were spent in agriculture, livestock breeding, health, education, communication, transportation, energy, commerce, international cooperation and religious sectors to realize the objectives.
To support and Complement the 15-year plan, a pilot project called “New Destiny” was also embarked in 2002 April to assist the poppy farmers by providing them alternative crop seedlings. Four Deputy Ministers from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Border Areas Development, Agriculture and Irrigation and Livestock and Fisheries respectively who are also CCDAC members were tasked for the supervision and success of this pilot project in 5 regions. The Ministers made frequent field visits to provide free seedlings for viable crop substitution, livestock for breeding and rice and salt for farmers who have stopped poppy cultivation. They also give guidance and advice to the local authorities. Within 2002 and May 2003, farmers voluntarily surrendered poppy seeds to the authorities which were burnt 13 times in front of the public in various border regions. Altogether, 163,720.61 kg of poppy seeds were destroyed. If cultivated on 40,573.68 hectares it had a potential production of 441133.308 tons of opium. In other words, we have been able to prevent over 400 tons of opium.
Since 1988 up to 2006 March, the Law Enforcement Agencies in Myanmar have seized the following drugs;
Opium 9345 cases 37965 kg
Heroin 26555 cases 7407 kg
ATS tabs 4312 cases 155 million
Ephedrine tabs 185 cases 223.6 (Kg)
Marijuana 8429 cases 847.3 (kg)
Phensedyl 2510 cases 35515 litiesAcetic
Anhydride 58 cases 86562 litres
Chemicals 131 cases 61196.1(litres)
Opium (liquid) 832 cases 822 litres
Morphine 31 cases 1931 kg
Mitrigyna speciosa 248 cases 901 kg
Cough Syrup with codeine 211 cases 2019 litres
Morphine (ampoules) 46 cases 6912 amps
Pethadine 4 cases 609 amps
Opium (low grade) 1511 cases 7672 kg
Caffeine 4 cases 4793 kg
ICE 12 cases 1315 kg
Failure to register 20030 cases
Others 3155 cases
Total cases 77640 cases
Altogether 87,424 males and 17,993 females totaling 105,417 prosecuted while the estimated street price of the drugs seized would million US dollars.
Likewise, seized narcotic drugs have been torched 19 times in Yangon and 38 times in the towns and districts of the following figures;-
Opium 29680.63 kg
Heroin 5643.83 kg
Heroin No 3 480.73 kg
Opium (Oil) 225.48 kg
Opium (liquid) 549.58 kg
Opium (low grade) 338.31 kg
Marijuana 6369.63 kg
Phensedyl 31085.95 litres
Methamphetamine 137483963 tablets
Ephedrine 16066.17 kg
Methamphetamine (powder form) 178.04 kg
Cough syrup with codeine 1821 litres
Mitrigyna Speciosa 204.66 kg
Diazepam 658121 tabs
Diazepam ampoules 135 ampoules
Buphrenorphine 474 ampoules
Morphine 135 ampoules
Ecstasy 280 tabs
Caffeine 3089.24 kg
ICE 802.736 kg
Methaqualone 7311 tabs
Phenylacetic acid 2143.47 kg
Phenobarbetal 8028 tabs
Phenobarbetal injections 23 vials
Ephedrine (injection) 33 vials
Ephedrine 4105441 tabs
Dyphenol Oxylate 72232 tabs
Cough syrup with codeine 1489 vials
Cough tablets 39177 tabs
Pentazolzin 25 tabs
Morphine Sulphate 10 tabs
Litzotum 150,000 tabs
Codeine 8 tabs
Pethadine 0.0072 litre
Methadone 10.96 litre
Lorazepum 0.001 kg
Acetic An hydride 1234.02 litres
Precursor Chemical 11048.01 litres
Poppy Seeds 554.81 kg
The total street price for all the drugs destroyed would amount to 15495 million US dollars.
The 2005 Annual World Drug Report based on the surveys undertaken by the Joint Myanmar-UNODC Illicit Crop Monitoring Programme indicated a declining trend both in cultivation and production due to these measures. For instance; in 2002 cultivation dropped from an estimate of 105,000 hectares in 2001 to 77,700 hectares, while potential production fell from 1097 tons to 828 tons, a decline of 28%. The survey results of 2003 indicated 62,200 hectares of cultivation with an estimate production of 810 tons of opium resulting in another 24% decline. 2004 surveys showed further decline both in cultivation and potential production of 44,200 hectares and 370 tons, 29 % and 54% reduction respectively. 2005 also saw a decline to 32770 hectares and 319 tons, a reduction of 59% in cultivation. Within a 5-year period, production dropped 61%.
The US-Myanmar Joint Opium Yield Surveys conducted with Counter Narcotics and Crime (CNC), which have been conducted annually in the past decade, reported overall opium production in Myanmar in 2004 declined substantially for the eight straight year. Cultivation was estimated at 3088 hectares with a potential production totaling no more than 292 metric tons in 2004, a decline of 88% from the estimated 2650 metric tons produced in Myanmar in 1996. This is a clear testimony of the success of the 15-year plan.
On the law enforcement sector, although there has been a marked decline in opium and heroin seizures within the country in recent years, we are also witnessing the escalating problems of synthetic drugs like amphetamine type stimulants. Myanmar did not have this problem before the 1990s but faced this menace since 1996 although the problem has been in the region for over a decade. Ephedrine, the precursor chemical for methamphetamine production had been trafficked in the region since the early 90s, and seizures of methamphetamines increased along the border areas.
This methamphetamine is produced from chemicals and is entirely different from the opium-based drugs. Myanmar does not have a chemical industry and does not manufacture precursor chemicals to produce these synthetic drugs. Due to the fact that all these precursor chemicals are illicitly trafficked from foreign countries, I am pleased to report that Myanmar is addressing this problem with the full cooperation of neighboring countries as well as international organizations.
Myanmar fully realized that one country alone cannot fight and win the drug menace and thus have been taking cooperative measures at international, regional and sub-regional levels. Myanmar is actively engaged in sub-regional cooperation in drug abuse control with China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam with technical and financial assistance from UNODC signing Memorandum of Understanding in 1993 which later expanded to 6 countries in 1995 including Cambodia and Vietnam. On precursor control efforts, Myanmar is active in the Penta-lateral grouping of China, Laos, Thailand and India.
Furthermore, Myanmar signed bilateral agreements for cooperation with India in 1993, with Bangladesh in 1994, with Vietnam in 1995, with the Russian Federation, Laos and the Philippines in 1997, with the People’s Republic of China and Thailand in 2001 to control drug trafficking and abuse. Cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries China, Laos, Thailand and India have resulted in successful law enforcement cases in investigating drug traffickers hiding along the common borders.
Due to time constraints, allow me to brief you on some cases during the past 2 years from among many successful cases smashing drug syndicates with international connections. The first one is Operations Soe San Zone. The case occurred at Hnit Kayin village of Ye Township, Mon State on 7 July 2004.
847 blocks of heroin weighing 592.5 kg worth 47400 million kyat (74 million US dollars) destined for the South China Sea by a fishing trawler “Soe San Zone” was seized by the local police while on its way to the Bay of Bengal. Investigations revealed that 3 men who were caretakers of the 847 blocks of heroin were murdered at sea by the 17-member crew, their bodies thrown overboard. The crew then sank the Soe San Zone and hid the drugs in a nearby fishing village called Hnit Kayin. Local Police somehow got information on this and seized the 592.5 kg of heroin. However, because of the nature of this big case, it took 2 years of investigations to finally smash the whole syndicate.
Teranai Vrantrakul (a) Ah Yang, a Thai citizen who managed the shipment of the drugs, Captain Ne Lin, a Myanmar, who was going to transship the drugs from Soe San Zone in the international waters to the China Sea and Sai Lone (a) Ah Ti, another Myanmar, who trafficked the drugs from Taunggyi area to Yangon, fled after hearing the incident and seizure. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 25 offenders inside Myanmar while 18 are still on the run with arrest warrants. Based on the evidence from the seized drugs, Operation Soe San Zone investigations widened involving several international law enforcement agencies like the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) of Thailand, China National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC), Hong Kong Police, Australian Federal Police (AFP), DEA, Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) of Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.
CCDAC, ONCB and DEA joint investigations traced Ms Thuza Myintzu, ex-wife of Captain Nay Lin, a naturalized citizen of the United States living in Seattle and revealed she was visiting Bangkok to meet Nay Lin. The moment she left the United States, DEA monitored her movements all along the route and provided us detailed information. On 28 January 2005, DEA, ONCB and CCDAC collaboration finally resulted in the arrest of Captain Ne Lin at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok by ONCB (a) CCDAC officers when Thuza Myintzu flew in from Seattle to meet him. The next day on 29 January 2005, Thai authorities repatriated Ne Lin to Yangon, Myanmar.
Information from Ne Lin was relayed to National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) of China that key traffickers Teranai Vrantrakul (a) Ah Yang and Sai Lon (a) Ah Ti were hiding in Yunnan Province of China. The Yunnan Provincial Narcotics Control Committee (YPNCC) managed to trace both of them in Kunming and arrested them. Both of them were handed over back to Myanmar on 3 March 2005.
It took us over 2 years since the initiation of the case to reach this stage because this is a very big and complex case involving international syndicates. Even up to this day, we cannot say the case is closed, because with the cooperation of concerned countries, we are still in the process of investigating the financial proceeds of crime in millions of dollars stashed and laundered in banks of some countries. This is not an ordinary drug case• but a very complex and difficult case with transnational organized crime nature involving money laundering threatening the international community. This is why we had to take time to investigate this case.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the DEA, ONCB, NNCC and other law enforcement agencies for their cooperation and assistance in this very successful dismantling of an international drug syndicate.
Similarly, information sharing led to another Joint operation between Myanmar and China resulting in the seizure of 102.05 kg of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (ICE ) on 24 May 2005 in Yangon. The ICE shipment was destined for Malaysia in a container, The street price of the drugs was worth 306 million kyat. One Malaysian and one Thai were arrested and prosecuted with three Myanmar. All assets were also confiscated. Similarly, in 2005 February, 178 kg of ICE was seized concealed in hollowed out teak banisters destined for Malaysia. The street price of the two cases of ICE amounted to 740 million kyat. Again, I wish to take this opportunity to thank NNCC and YPNCC for their cooperation and assistance in this very successful drug case.
The next case I would like briefly present is the 496 case, another successful operation netting 496 kg of heroin in September last year. Intelligence sharing between Myanmar and China indicated a big shipment of drugs was going to take place from northeast Shan State to the Thai border and after months of joint investigations, a drug convoy of 7 vehicles transporting 496 kg of heroin was interdicted by local authorities and CCDAC on 10 September 2005 between Naung Cho and Mong Pyin villages of eastern Shan State. 4.1 million Thai baht and assorted arms and ammunition were also seized. Street price of the drugs were worth 39,680 million kyat or 62 million US dollars. The main drug trafficker in this case is Han Yu Won, a Chinese citizen and also a drug fugitive wanted by the Chinese authorities.
Han Yu Won and his aide Ah Su, were waiting for the drugs at the border and as soon as they got news of the seizure, they fled across the border to Laos, Information exchange and joint investigations among Myanmar, China and Laos law enforcement agencies traced Han Yu Won and Ah Su at San Nae village and Laos police arrested them on 22 September 2005. Both of them were handed over back to Myanmar on 28 September by the Laos authorities. For the need on follow-up investigations in China, CCDAC rendered both traffickers to YPNCC, China on 2 October 2005 at the Seasons Hotel, Yangon. Let me extend our gratitude to NNCC, YPNCC, ONCB and LCDC of Laos for their cooperation and assistance in this very successful case.
Another case is an Ecstasy case, Ecstasy is a very expensive drug fetching 50,000 to 70,000 kyat per tablet. Ecstasy is a synthetic stimulant drug with psychotropic effects. It affects and distorts the visual, audio and odor sensations of the user. Mostly the user would experience the feeling of euphoria as if gliding in the air.
Rich young people would use it in the nightclubs and dance away in the night non-stop shaking their heads. We had information on an Ecstasy deal at K’ Paradise Hotel in Yangon in February 2005. Drug officers working on information from confidential informers set up an entrapment operation and arrested Ye Kyaw (a) Kyaw Kyaw Win with 6 Ecstasy tablets which he was trying to sell to the undercover agent. A search at his apartment on Pansodan Street of Kyautada Township found another 292 tablets of Ecstasy. Street price of the drugs were worth 24.2 million. Ye Kyaw (a) Kyaw Kyaw Win is an American citizen who frequently visited Yangon and had been trafficking Ecstasy on these trips. One of the main traffickers who had been distributing Estasy in Myanmar fled abroad and we are also working closely with the DEA to investigate the suppliers in the United States. I extend our thanks to the DEA for their cooperation and assistance in this case.
Finally, I am going to brief you on a very recent successful case, which is also a milestone in the seizure records of Myanmar law enforcement.
The case covers the period from 26 December 2005 to 19 April 2006. In this case, we seized 14.9 million methamphetamine tablets, 50 kg of heroin, 1000 kg of No. 3 heroin, 28 kg of opium, 721.24 kg of ephedrine, 1706 kg of caffeine, 876.6 litres of Lysol, 1727 litres of acetic anhydride, 196 assorted firearms, 27008 rounds of assorted ammunition, 48 hand grenades, 57 vehicles and arrested 33 suspects. The street price of the drugs alone was estimated to be 125.43 billion kyat while the US street price would amount to 1.4 billion dollars.
This successful case illustrates the close coordination and cooperation among CCDAC, local Police Force and the local militant forces.
The case started sometime back when Tachileik Drug Unit targeted Yang Ah Hong, a Myanmar-Chinese under surveillance on information that he was involved in drug trafficking. Coincidently, we received information from Thai ONCB that a large consignment of small blue plastic bags was transported from Mae Sai to Tachileik arousing suspicion of a possible drug shipment. These blue plastic bags although commonly used for other purposes are also found to be used for packing ATS tablets. Surveillance indicated suspicious movements of Sai Pan Maung, an ex-MTA to be somewhat connected to the plastic bags shipment. On 26 December 2005, Tachileik Drug Unit simultaneously searched Sai Pan Maung and Yang Ah Hong’s houses. 165 tablets of methamphetamine were found in Sai Pan Maung’s house and he was arrested with 3 of his men. The search of Yang Ah Hong’s farm house netted 1.38 million methamphetamine tablets, 8 assorted firearms, 1575 rounds of assorted ammunition. 1 hand grenades, 213 kg of ephedrine, 16 kg of caffeine, 876.6 litres of Lysol, 360 gallons of acetic anhydride, 22.25 litres of sulphuric acid, 23.5 kg of opium, 1 tabulating punch machine and 3 vehicles. Yang Ah Hong was traveling at the time and his caretaker Kyaw Swe was arrested. Interrogation revealed that ATS tablets were hidden around San Lu village of Loi Taw Kham village tract. Authorities then visited the village and persuaded the village headman and villagers to provide information so that nobody will be affected with the case. Searching around the area based on information from the villagers, 312,000 methamphetamine tablets were found from a gully near Ho Ye village on 9 January 2005, 444,400 methamphetamine tablets were discovered from the roadside ditch of Tachileik-Mong Sat road and 800,000 tablets in a ravine near the road on 12 January 2005, totalling 1 million and 556,400 methamphe-tamine tablets.
Arrested suspects revealed more information on drugs stashed in the ranch and fishponds of Naw Kham at Wan Kyauk Lone Village. Search and raid of the compound on 8 January found 41 blocks of heroin, 1.3698 million of methamphetamine, 1246 kg of caffeine, 462 kg of ephedrine, 37 assorted firearms, 4957 rounds of assorted ammunition and 4 hand grenades. Naw Kham fled but 3 of his men were arrested in the ranch. Again on 10 January, another search in the ranch and fishponds resulted in discovering 50,000 methamphetamine tablets, 20.1 kg of caffeine, 1000 kg of No 3 heroin, 0.4 kg of crushed methamphetamine, 0.1 kg of heroin, one 9 mm pistol, 1178 rounds of assorted ammunition, 14 landmines and 27 detonators and 15 vehicles.
Based on information from suspects, on 14 January a search in Pan Ku village of lower Mong Haire tract resulted with 42 assorted firearms, 24 assorted rounds of ammunition, 1 tablet punching machine. Then on 4 February, a stash of 800,000 methampheta-mine tablets was found after a search in a cave near Pan Ku village and 1.3 million tablets were found hidden underground near Pansali village. Continued searches at Naw Kham’s farms at Wan Kyauk Lone village were conducted daily and on 9 March 14 assorted firearms, 1,580 assorted ammo, 15 bombs, 16 hand grenades, 1 heroin block (0.35 kg) and a WY punching mould were found.
It was assessed that Sai Pan Maung, Yang Ah Hong and Naw Kham were key players of this drug case. Both Sai Pan Maung and Yang Ah Hong served in the MTA together and after surrender in 1996, they started an agriculture farm at Par Sho Kyaing Latt, north of Tachileik as a front, while setting up a clandestine heroin refinery on the Laos side of the Mekong River bank at a place called Kyauk Gu (Rock Cave) near Kyaing Kok. The location was ideal and uniqu; very remote with a dense forest but raw opium was easily available. Access to the refinery however was very difficult if not impossible providing them with an early warning system if Myanmar or Laos forces approached the refinery. Moving out anytime was easy by boats in the Mekong if necessary. All the essential precursor chemicals were shipped in from China and Thailand at that time. Altogether 98.7 kg of 141 heroin blocks were refined at the clandestine lab in 2001. Naw Kham refined heroin and produced methamphetamine tablets at Kaw Phu village near the Hot Springs village and bartered the drugs with firearms with a Laos national. Also, he trafficked the firearms along the Tachiliek-Kyaing Tong-Tarpin - Mong La - Mong Pauk - Pang Kham route bartering them with heroin blocks again. In fact, Naw Kham became a drug kingpin producing, trafficking heroin as well as a firearms smuggler.
In this connection, I wish to add some background information on Naw Kham. Naw Kham happened to be an aid to Ywet Sid when both of them were in the MTA. He came back into the legal fold along with Ywet Sit when MTA surrendered uncondi-tionally. However, when Ywet Sit split with the MTA and took arms again to fight the government, Naw Kham stayed behind with the pretense of felling apart with Ywet Sit.
It became obvious now according to the recent investigations of this case that this was pre-planned so that Naw Kham would be in a position to provide and support drugs and firearms. As the operations extended with more traffickers arrested and additional drugs and firearms seized, Naw Kham realized his cover would be soon blown he fled and joined his old master Ywet Sit.
In other words, Ywet Sit himself is a drug kingpin, a firearms smuggler who accumulated and stashed the 196 firearms with an intention to use it at a later date.
I wish to stress that international cooperation played a crucial role in the case that I have just explained. To investigate and arrest the main suspect Yang Ah Hong who fled abroad, CCDAC enjoyed close cooperation and coordination with NNCC of China, ONCB of Thailand and DEA Yangon exchanging information without any reservations. On 5 January 2006, NNCC informed us that they have spotted Yang Ah Hong in Shanghai but wished to confirm his identity before moving in to arrest him. CCDAC promptly sent old and recent pictures of Yang Ah Hong to NNCC for identification and confirmation and on 6 January 2006, he was arrested by NNCC officials in Shanghai in his house at 120, Bow Street, Futon Township. Police Brig-Gen Zaw Win, Deputy Director General of Myanmar Police Force led a 5 member delegation to Kunming, China and officially received Yang Ah Hong from NNCC on 24 February 2006. Investigations with DEA, AFP, ONCB, AEP and NNCC are still ongoing for the offenders who are on the run.
And I wish to take this opportunity to thank the distinguished guests from NNCC, ONCB, DEA who are here with us today for the close cooperation with us in this successful operation and for personally attending this press briefing giving time from their busy schedules.
The four cases that I have briefed this morning would not have achieved success without the mutual understanding, bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation and colla-boration of international law enforce-ment agencies and neighboring countries like China, Thailand and Laos in the region. reports. Particularly, there have been reports, allegations and criticism in some countries’ media and the internet that the Myanmar government is involved in drug production, traffick-ing and has not demonstrated satisfactorily to combat drugs.
In reality, Myanmar has been carrying out the enormous task of eliminating the scourge of narcotic drugs with serious commitment not only as a national concern, but also as a threat to mankind, which I have made it very obvious in my presentation today. In other words, I wish to state that with unwavering commitment and based on our own resources, Myanmar will continue to do our utmost with or without external assistance to overcome the threat posed by drugs to the country and the international community at large.