Myanmar seizes trucks loaded with smuggled fertilizers from China

Trucks carrying fertilizers seen at Waimaw. Photo by Nyan Tun / Eleven Media Group/Asia News Network

Authorities detained trucks loaded with fertilizers smuggled from China in Waimaw on the evening of August 2, sources said.

The operation is led by Kachin State Finance, Revenue, Planning and Economic Development Minister Wai Lin and police and army are not involved in the operation.

Nyan Tun, Information Officer of NLD party in Waimaw said, “We detained seven Chinese and 28 trucks yesterday and our team has eleven members. Most of the drivers are Chinese and some of them are Myanmar. They said they have been hired by the Chinese and the Chinese offered two million kyats for them. They drove through a road which smuggled goods from China. Five Chinese drivers have official documents and two drivers have been taken action against immigration law as they have no document. We cannot arrest them all as we cannot bring enough people to detain them. Some Chinese run away into the ravine. The fertilizers will be used in tissue culture banana plantations in Myanmar. We will inspect the trucks with respective officials on August 3. The trucks, which carried the fertilizers officially, loaded with 20 tons of fertilizers. The trucks, which carried the fertilizers illegally, loaded with 50 or 60 tons. The roads are damaged as they cannot bear the weight. Now the trucks are being kept in front of Lawwow Church and office of fire services department.”

The state minister said they are still inspecting the seized fertilizers and he cannot say it in details.

Although the daily eleven contacted Kachin State Security and Border Affairs Minister in concerned with the seized fertilizers, no reply is made. Police Lt-Col Myo Thura Naung, Head of Kachin State Police Force said they are interrogating the Chinese.

Chinese authorities performed urine test to Myanmar citizens working in production industries and factories from last week of July and some of them are detained although they are not using narcotics drugs, sources said.