Mra Htwee Shin, 25 March 2022

Two wood smuggling cargo boats along with one boatman were seized by theBurmese navy near Thekone villageunder  Pauktaw  township of Rakhine State last night after several gunshots were fired, saidlocal residents.

Around 15 people were on board among whom one was captured while the othersescaped.

Both the cargo boats were chased by the navy team as those were sailing near the Bay of Bengal on 24March by 5 pm from the direction ofSittwe.

"I heard that both the boats were asked to stop by the navy team but they did not respond and tried to goaway. Then the navy personnel firedseveral gunshots on the boats. Soon they successfully captured the boats at Minte port. One boatman was arrested and the rest ran up the nearby hills,” said a local resident from Thekone village adding that one of the fleeing boatmensustained injury.

The navy personnel took away the boats along with the boatmna. Locals suspect that the boats mighthave carried woods toBangladesh but they have no ideawhether it was a legal deal or not.

Narinjara News tried to contact the Rakhine State security and border affairs minister Colonel Colonel KyawThura and State council spokesmanHla Thein with queries about the development event, but could not get access.

(Photo by Rakhine daily)