An armed robbery at KBZ Bank Branch No. 37 in Maha Aung Myay Township, Mandalay Region, resulted in the arrest of the perpetrator and the discovery of additional firearms and ammunition at his residence, according to official reports.
On January 11, 2025, at approximately 2:35 PM, a man wearing a black long-sleeve jacket and trousers entered KBZ Bank Branch 37, located between 72nd and 73rd Streets on 40th Street in Maha Nwe Sin Ward. Pretending to conduct a transaction, he approached Counter No. 4 and threatened bank staff with a handmade pistol, forcing them to place cash into his backpack. While attempting to flee, bank employees and bystanders confronted him. During the scuffle, he fired a shot, injuring Deputy Manager U La Min Ko Ko in the left hand. The suspect, identified as Aung Pyae Phyo @ Yaung Ni, aged 32, from Amarapura Township’s Hmantan Ward, was apprehended with a handmade pistol and five rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The suspect was subsequently charged at Maha Aung Myay Police Station under Case No. (P) 11/2025, pursuant to Sections 394 and 307 of the Penal Code.
Based on Aung Pyae Phyo’s confession, authorities searched his parents' residence in Hmantan Ward, Amarapura Township, at 6:05 PM on the same day. They recovered two additional handmade pistols, 18 rounds of jingali ammunition, and a T-shirt from the bathroom roof. A search of his rented house in the same ward at 6:20 PM yielded 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a motorcycle with registration number MDY 1W/59983.
During questioning, Aung Pyae Phyo admitted to attending a PDF (People’s Defense Force) training camp in 2021 near a mango plantation in Tabat Zwe Village, Singu Township, alongside an associate named Ko Naing Oo @ Ko Oo or Laung Cha. He claimed that the firearms and ammunition used in the robbery were purchased through Naing Oo and that he had financially supported the PDF group multiple times via phone transactions.
The robbery at KBZ Bank was allegedly carried out to fund further contributions to the PDF.
Aung Pyae Phyo, identified as a PDF member, is currently in custody. Security forces are continuing their investigations and taking legal action in accordance with the law. The robbery resulted in injuries to one bank employee, highlighting the dangers posed by such criminal activities.
