The Wa and Arakan Army (AA) have denied allegations linking them to a drug haul worth over K96 billion (approximately $20 million) seized in Yangon, according to exile media.

The Drug Enforcement Division under Myanmar Police Force announced on March 18 that they had arrested a drug trafficking gang in Yangon on March 6, which was managed by a business in-charge from AA and was to be transported to Malaysia.

According to a statement by the Drug Enforcement Division, since March 6, 14 people involved in transporting drugs to Malaysia have been arrested in Dagon Myothit (South), Thaketa, North Okkalapa, Seikkyi Khanaungto and Loilin townships, using five vehicles and a ship to transport drugs to Malaysia.

The seized ice (methamphetamine) was sold by Tin Maung Win, a resident of Panghsan, Wa Self-Administered Region, and the people who managed to transport the drugs to Malaysia were identified as Ye Win aka Kyaw Soe Lin, the business in-charge of AA, and his wife, Ma Thida Myint. They are still at large.

It was also reported that the business in-charge of AA and his wife were operating transportation businesses in Tangyan, Taunggyi, Mandalay, and Yangon with 16 passenger buses of their own.

In response to this report, the AA issued a statement on March 19 stating that their organization had no connection with them.

According to the statement of the Drug Enforcement Division, the seized drugs were allegedly sold by Tin Maung Win, who lives in Panghsan, Wa Autonomous Region. U Nyi Yang, head of the Wa Liaison Office in Lashio told The Irrawaddy that Tin Maung Win is not present in Wa Autonomous Region.

According to information obtained by Eleven Media Group and information related to previous reports of drug seizures worth millions of dollars, the drugs were originated from Wa Region and its related areas, and are being exported abroad by those associated with ethnic armed groups.

In the main drug shipments abroad, the majority of the drugs are shipped abroad by the northern armed groups including the AA, which exports the drugs to the Middle East and other countries via Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

The most drug-producing areas in Myanmar are in the Wa region and its surrounding areas, and Myanmar is one of the world’s largest producers of amphetamines and is among the countries most affected by drug-related poverty.

The World Population Review has stated that Myanmar was the third poorest country in Asia by 2024.

The AA and the northern armed groups, TNLA and MNDAA, have been declared terrorist groups by the Anti-Terrorism Central Committee of Myanmar.