Nay Pyi Taw, July (29)
Deputy chief of military regime Vice-Senior General Soe Win admitted that illegal trade has soared since the military coup.
He made this remark at the Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee meeting at the Ministry of Commerce held in Nay Pyi Taw on July 27.
He added that during the period from January 2022 to June 2023, the approximate value of seized illegal commodities amounted to K 127 billion in over 7,000 cases, and more arrests were made compared to the same period last year.
However, Soe Win did not disclose the amount of value seized or the number of cases during the same period last year.
Illicit trade includes backhoes for illegal excavation of natural resources, various types of illegal timber, agricultural produce, raw materials, personal goods, and foodstuffs.
Illegal trade is difficult to monitor on grounds of security along the border between the two countries, in addition to some other factors, said Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
In addition, he admitted that legal weakness, low efficiency, and corruption of the personnel involved in anti-illegal trade activities are challenges in the fight against illegal trade.
Following the military coup, the closure of border trade gates, limitations on the importation of certain goods, restrictions on import policies, and stricter inspection of imported goods by the military regime are the reasons for the growth of the illegal trade, businesspersons said.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: MOI
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