THE police arrested suspect Kyaw Khine Oo, who asked for money from business people, disguising himself as a terrorist, and his unlawful wife Aye Aye Win, at No 226 in Khatta Street, Moekyopyit village, PyinOoLwin township on 20 October 2024.

Kyaw Khine Oo testified that he had to enter into an ethnic armed group by force while living in Panmauk village of Kyaukme township in April 2014. He ran away from that group in 2016 and lived in Hnaungmeekar village in Pinlaung township by opening a motorcycle maintenance workshop and operating unregistered motorcycles.

Starting from November 2021, he searched the phone numbers of business persons using the Myanmar Business Directory Application and threatened them, saying he was a member of the terrorist group and they might be killed if they informed the military, police, militia and other organizations and asked for money. He threatened and asked for cash amounted to K221.3 million from the businesspeople until 19 October 2024, four from Lashio, one from Hsipaw, five from Muse, two from Namhkam, one from Taunggyi, one from Loikaw, four from PyinOoLwin, one from Nawnghkio and eight from Mandalay, totalling 27 businesspeople. He bought a YGN-13 9Q/9165 Soueast vehicle at K40 million and his house at K140 million in Moekyopyit village and used all the money by gambling.

The suspect will face legal action under the existing law, and people can participate in the fight against terrorism to arrest suspects as quickly as possible. The public can also secretly report to officials about offenders’ hiding places and activities, and whistle-blowers and those who help arrest perpetrators will be covertly rewarded. — MNA/KTZH