SAC Information Team Leader Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun’s Clarifications on the Issues pertaining to the Arrest for Online Gambling and Online Scams and AA Insurgents’ Fabrication

The State Administration Council, in collaboration with neighboring countries, is severely combating online gambling and online scams. With regards to this action, the SAC Information Team leader Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun made the following clarifications on 23 February:

• Acting to an information tip-off about the crimes of unlawful online gambling and online scams, security forces searched the yard owned by Kyaw Thein (aka) Khun Mg Nyo in the street of Toenayar, Samseng Ward (A), Tachileik.
• During the search, security forces arrested a total of 689 offenders: 148 Thai nationals (75 males and 73 females), one Chinese male national and 540 Myanmar nationals (173 males and 367 females). Along with them, eight vehicles, 120 motorbikes and desktop computers used for online games were confiscated.
• Authorities arrested a group opening an office in the Strand Road, Botahtaung Township, Yangon Region where they are cheating and threatening people for money via online under the cover of loan business. The leader is Yu Lin Feng, a Chinese national who has gone to Cambodia since January for evading from the arrest.
• Such group has been formed with 91 members and 13 offenders were apprehended for their involvement in online scams.
• The group members used to persuade target persons and make them to install their applications. After installation, they sneakily steal all data including contact list in the target persons’ phones. Then, they blackmailed those people into taking loan and asked them to repay it back.
• If the target persons did not pay money back, they put them to shame through making contact with the numbers they have stolen and/or threatened them.
• The money they cheated is the people’s hard-earned money and wages for work. So, such act amounts to willful exploitation on the people. Those who suffered losses are required to complaint the concerned administrative bodies courageously. The Government will combat such offences.

The Maj-Gen continued the following clarifications on the AA insurgents’ fabrication:

• AA insurgents are unusually speaking and broadcasting the matters regarding Muslim community.
• Since AA insurgents launched attacks on the outposts stationed by border guard police forces and police stations, police members retreated from some outposts/stations. Under this context, AA insurgents circulated rumors that border guard police members sold arms to ARSA terrorists.
• In fact, AA insurgents provided the ARSA group with arms and weapons that police stations lost. But, they wish to deceive Rakhine people as if border guard police members supplied the ARSA, covering up their support.
• Indeed, AA insurgent of terrorist group has made contact with the ARSA Bengali insurgent group since the past. Their main contact is drugbusiness. AA group has brought stimulant tablets, WY tablets and ICE (Crystal Meth) into Rakhine State.
• AA members and its high-ranking members are also involved in the drug-trade. We have repeatedly arrested their members for drug-related offences and publicized the evidences.
• AA group delivered the drugs to Bangladesh via sea mouth. Those drugs have been seized time after time in Bangladesh. AA group guarantees the arrival of the drugs to the border areas with Bangladesh. Next, they hand over the drugs to ARSA group.
• The next thing is that AA group is continuously spreading rumors in recent days about the recruitment of Muslim people in Buthidaung-Maungdaw area by the Tatmadaw.
• Everybody can inquire about the rumors by asking any Muslim community in the Buthidaung-Maungdaw area as well as any Muslm villages. The Tatmadaw never makes recruitment there.
• AA group summoned Muslim representatives from the villages in Buthidaung-Maungdaw area and held meeting. During the meeting, AA members threatened the Muslim people not to join the Tatmadaw but forced them to join the AA group. They offered the Muslim people for favors. We have received all evidences of their conversation.  

In conclusion, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said that AA group set fire to Letwe Tat Puzun Chaung Village located at the exit of Buthidaung Township to Maungdaw Township, under the pretext of providing information to the Tatmadaw. The fire destroyed some 700 houses and injured some victims. Currently, the Tatmadaw, in collaboration with Muslim social support team, is conducting rescue operation.

Source: Myawady Daily Newspaper (24-2-2024)

• During the search, security forces arrested a total of 689 offenders: 148 Thai nationals (75 males and 73 females), one Chinese male national and 540 Myanmar nationals (173 males and 367 females) who are doing online gambling and online scams. Along with them, eight vehicles, 120 motorbikes and desktop computers used for online games were confiscated.
• Authorities arrested a group opening an office in the Strand Road, Botahtaung Township, Yangon Region where they are cheating and threatening people for money via online under the cover of loan business. The group has been formed with 91 members and 13 offenders were apprehended for the involvement in online scams.
• AA insurgents circulated rumors that border guard police members sold arms to ARSA terrorists.
• In fact, AA insurgents provided the ARSA group with arms and weapons that police stations lost. But, they wish to deceive Rakhine people as if border guard police members supplied the ARSA, covering up their support.
• AA insurgent of terrorist group has made contact with the ARSA Bengali insurgent group since the past. Their main contact is drugbusiness. AA group has brought stimulant tablets, WY tablets and ICE (Crystal Meth) into Rakhine State.
• AA group summoned Muslim representatives from the villages in Buthidaung-Maungdaw area and held meeting. During the meeting, AA members threatened the Muslim people not to join the Tatmadaw but forced them to join the AA group. They offered the Muslim people for favors.