By Min Khant
The AA group, which is being monitored and taken action by international organizations, including the UN, for the recent killing of Bengali people and arson attacks against Bengali villages, is an insurgent terrorist group which is largely undertaking narcotics smuggling.
The AA group, which has emerged in the KIA area since 2009, has primarily earned income to stand on its own from narcotics smuggling like its godfathers KIA, UWSA, MNDAA and TNLA. Actually, the AA group has neither firm businesses nor money from extortion from the Rakhine people since its establishment. It has mainly relied on the income earned from drug smuggling to purchase food, arms and ammunition.
Like the course of insurgents of terrorists in the northeastern part of Shan State, the AA group has made manufacture, distribution and sale of illicit drugs as its major business. It is undertaking narcotics smuggling both at home and abroad. Accordingly, it is witnessed that the involvement of AA members in frequent seizures of drug-trafficking.
According to the records of seizures of narcotics by the Myanmar Police Force, there had been MMK294.82 billion (over USD1,400 million) worth of nine seizures of AA-related drug smugglings between 2016 and March 2024. For evident example, authorities had seized MMK51.87 billion (over USD24 million) worth of 2.07 tonnes of ICE (Crystal Meth) and 800 kilogrammes of prohibited chemical caffeine between 3 and 9 December 2023. In that case, a drug-related gang which comprises of four officers of AA, three other ranks of AA and eight civilians were arrested. The gang is manipulated by Kyaw Myat Oo (aka) Mg Naing (aka) Thar Thar (aka) Wai Thar Tun, a trusted person as well as a person in charge of earners for AA who is at the rank of Colonel in AA, as per the instruction of AA Leader Twan Mrat Naing.
According to the confession of AA members under interrogation, the AA group transports ICE (Crystal Meth) stimulant tablets manufactured by ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Shan State to Rakhine State by road and sea through Mandalay and Yangon. Again, the AA group distributes those drugs in Rakhine State and Bangladesh’s border areas. Next, it smuggles drugs to Malaysia and Indonesia by Rakhine waters. Finally, it mainly smuggles drugs to other foreign markets through Malaysia and Indonesia.
Among those tasked with AA’s illegal drug trade, the majority of people are AA Leader Twan Mrat Naing’s confidants, who are working at AA Headquarters in Laiza, KIA’s area. The arrestees did not carry out drug trafficking for personal interests, but they did it for the AA group as a duty. They receive higher salaries and opportunities than other AA members. Their tasks are sectioned into transporting, carrying and selling. The benefits earned from drug trafficking are used under the management of AA Leader Twan Mrat Naing. He contacts with arms trafficking gangs and exchanges weapons with stimulant tablets. Some 70 per cent of income earned from drug trafficking is used for purchasing arms and ammunition.
The AA group’s drug market is connected with international drug gangs in European countries, including the US and Middle Eastern countries through Malaysia and Bangladesh. As the main route, the stimulant tablets and ICE (Crystal Meth) that are produced in EAOs’ controlled areas of northern and northeastern parts of Myanmar is transported through Mandalay. Again, Yangon ports are used to transport those drugs to foreign countries. The drug trafficking is then made to Malaysia and Indonesia by sea. As an overland route, the AA group is making drug smuggling to Bangladesh through Mandalay, Meiktila, Pyawbwe, Magway, Padan, Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U.
According to the records of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Bangladesh, the number of people who abuse stimulant tablets is around eight million. Over the past three years, it has been included in the list of the top five countries on the yearly seizure of stimulant tablets (Yaba). The DNC team seized more than 50 million stimulant tablets every year. The 2021 report by the DNC team stated that the seized stimulant tablets have been transported into Bangladesh from AA’s controlled areas, and the AA members are involved in the drug-related cases behind the seizures.
Following the emergence of the AA group, stimulant tablets (Yaba) become plentiful in Rakhine State. As a result, Rakhine youths, as well as those from Bengali refugee camps at the border area with Bangladesh, have become increased. Particularly, the stimulant tablet abuses were much in evidence among the AA members who died in some battles. The AA group reportedly forced its members to use narcotics for armed combat.
Even though the AA armed terrorist group is formed with the majority of Rakhine people, all innocent Rakhine people do not accept it, and it does not represent Rakhine State and its people. It is led by a group of extreme racists of Rakhine people who are treading down Rakhine State and people for their personal interests. The AA group is just an armed narco-terrorist group which disturbs the peace and stability of Rakhine State and carries out illegal drug trade largely.
With extreme racism and illegal drug trade, the AA group comes to build up. Thus, they have evidently started to kill and torture Bengali people in Rakhine State.
In the past, security personnel made utmost efforts to stabilize the areas in Rakhine State, making balance in accordance with the laws in communal conflicts between Rakhine and Bengali people. After security personnel were absent from the areas, the lawless atrocities by the AA group against locals have obviously emerged. As a result, the international community has become fully aware of the atrocities.
In fact, global countries have come to pay attention to the AA terrorist group because it has killed Bengali people and torched Bengali villages in Buthidaung and Maungtaw areas, Rakhine State. It earns money from drug trafficking and is going on the course of armed terrorist attacks. This article serves to highlight dangerous AA drug lords who endanger all human beings and lets the international community know about it.
The AA group’s drug trafficking is undeniable because there has been strong evidence and eye-witnesses. I’d like to urge the international community not to support the AA armed terrorist group, which is generating its major income from the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of illicit drugs.
The Government has intensified its efforts to combat narcotics, regarding as a national duty. Likewise, it can be seen that the Government is emphasizing the seizure of drug trafficking, blocking the AA group’s drug trade route. According to the confessions of drug-related perpetrators and evidence, the drug trade of the AA group is undeniable. Moreover, this article exposes that the AA group is also connecting with drug lords, illegal arms trafficking and transnational human trafficking from foreign countries.
