Four Suspects Arrested for Robbery with Knife Under Pretext of PDF in Maha Aung Myay

Four suspects have been arrested for robbing jade jewelry worth around 50 million kyats at gunpoint and knife-point from a gem trader in Mandalay's Mahar Aung Myay gem trading center, allegedly accusing him of ties to the PDF (People's Defence Force), according to reports.

Around 10 a.m. on August 18, two unidentified men approached Ko Htet Aung, a jade trader at the Mahar Aung Myay gem trading center located between 86th and 87th streets, and 39th and 40th streets in Mahar Aung Myay township, claiming "we need to check you because you're connected to the PDF," before brandishing a knife and taking him away.

The men then brought Ko Htet Aung to a site where an old football field was being demolished, where they robbed him of jade items from his shoulder bag — including 2 finished jade pieces, 2 jade necklaces, 1 chwun-type necklace, 2 chwun-type rings, and 1 pair of jade earrings — totaling approximately 50 million kyats in current value, before fleeing, according to sources.

"On the night of the incident, the two masterminds were first arrested in Mandalay. The following day, the two who carried out the robbery were caught in the Sagaing area. The masterminds were trying to sell the stolen jade in Mandalay, while the robbers had been told to hide out in Sagaing," said a source close to the police.

The robbery was carried out by two young men aged around 20 and two men aged around 30, and the No. 7 township police station has filed a case under Penal Code Section 392, according to reports.