Hundreds of trucks have been halted in Hpa-an town by the authorities to inspect illegal Thai goods transported from Myawady, a town in Kayin State on the Thai-Myanmar border, according to local traders.

A local trader said that the trucks coming from Myawady to Hpa-an were stopped after a multi-team search of warehouses in Hpa-an township last week found a large number of illegal, duty-free goods, as well as prohibited goods.

He continued, “On March 5 and 6, the relevant teams stopped and inspected various large and small trucks carrying goods from Myawady to Hpa-an. The trucks were also parked at Thiri Ground, where the Kayin State Day ceremony is held in Hpa-an town. No inspection of the goods has been carried out till March 6.”

The local trader said that he heard that the trucks were stopped and inspected because traders and agents were clearing the route without paying full duty on goods from the border and found prohibited goods while transporting them.

The relevant Illegal Trade Eradication Committee has received complaints that illegal goods are being transported on the Thai-Myanmar border trade route, so the deputy commander of the Southeast Command himself is conducting inspections, including inspection teams from Nay Pyi Taw, according to a person close to the Kayin State Government Office.

After paying duty on goods from Thailand in Myawady, they had to pay various gate fees to various armed groups along the Dawna Taung Kyaw route from Myawady to Kawkareik. In addition, they had to pay a lot of money to various gates from Kawkareik to Hpa-an and from Hpa-an to Yangon to transport goods, traders said.

Traders said that due to the ongoing tax investigation into goods transported from Thailand into Hpa-an Township, Kayin State, trucks have stopped driving from Myawady to Hpa-an, but are instead stopping on the roads to monitor the situation.