The State Administration Council (SAC) has reported a significant development in Mandalay Region. A man and two women were apprehended, found in possession of a cache of weaponry that included eight pistols, 16 ammunition boxes, a grenade, and 300 various types of ammunition.
According to intelligence received, these individuals were affiliated with the Mandalay PDF group, which operates under the umbrella of the National Unity Government (NUG) and the No-More Dictatorship (NMD) group. Their mission involved transporting these arms and ammunition, discreetly loaded into car gearboxes, from Kyarinseikgyi Township in Kayin State to Mandalay using passenger vehicles.
Among those arrested were Thida Soe (also known as Ma Soe) and Toe Nyunt. The SAC’s report indicates that they were found with an array of weapons, including guns, bullets, and hand grenades, in Aungmyaethazan Township, Mandalay Region, on the evening of February 4.
Testimonies from the arrestees shed light on their affiliations and activities. Thida Soe, a former member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Aungmyaethazan Township, had actively participated in protests within Mandalay Region. Her journey took her to Laiza town in Kachin State, where she underwent a month-long arms training course under the guidance of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). During her training, she formed a close connection with Myo Min Yan Naing from the NMD group. Upon completing her training, Thida Soe returned home to Aungmyaethazan township and continued supporting NMD activities alongside her friends Kay Khaing and Toe Nyunt.
The investigation also revealed that a key figure, still at large in Kyarinseikgyi township, Kayin State, facilitated the transportation of these concealed weapons and ammunition in car gearboxes to Mandalay Region. Subsequently, Thida Soe, Kay Khaing, and Toe Nyunt retrieved the weapons at the highway bus terminal in Mandalay. They then brought the weapons to Myo Min Yan Naing in Sagaing Region.
The SAC also revealed that weapons/ammunitions were delivered four times between November 2023 and January 2024.
