Heroin and Methamphetamine Pills Worth Over $1.2M Seized on Myanmar-India Border
KALAY TOWNSHIP, Myanmar – Authorities have seized heroin and methamphetamine pills valued at more than US$1.2 million (over 2.7 billion kyats) in a major bust targeting cross-border drug trafficking operations near the Myanmar-India frontier.
The Seizure
According to a statement from the Narcotics Control Police, the operation took place on August 6 at around 5 p.m. in Si Gyi Village, Kyaung Tay Village Tract, Kalay Township.
Security forces intercepted a motorcycle trailer driven by Win Ko Ko (alias Aeko) and discovered:
- 15.07 kilograms of heroin (estimated street value: 753.5 million kyats)
- 9.92 million methamphetamine pills (estimated street value: 1.984 billion kyats)
The combined haul is worth more than 2.7 billion kyats, making it one of the largest seizures in the region this year.
Follow-Up Arrests
Further investigations led to additional arrests on August 7. Authorities detained Mee Aung (alias Mae Lone) and Aung Khant Zaw (alias Aung Gyi) at a residence in Shet Padhan Lane, Mingalar Garden Ward, Kalay.
Police said the pair had delivered the narcotics from Mandalay to Kalay using a HINO 12-wheeler truck, which was also seized during the operation.
Investigators later identified two other individuals, Bo Min and Soe Moe Oo, as key figures responsible for transporting the heroin and methamphetamine pills. The suspects were allegedly moving the drugs from Kyin Hmoon Khant in Khampat Township and Tamu Township toward the Myanmar-India border for cross-border trade.
Ongoing Crackdown
The Narcotics Control Police confirmed that the arrested suspects have been remanded to court under Myanmar’s drug laws. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend additional perpetrators involved in the trafficking network.
Myanmar, a key part of Southeast Asia’s “Golden Triangle,” continues to face large-scale drug trafficking challenges, with methamphetamine and heroin smuggling routes stretching across its borders into India, Thailand, and beyond.
