According to the 5/2023 meeting of the Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee, they identified the illegal transport of bags of exported millets by vessels, trains, and vehicles in July and August.
During these two months, they were able to identify and take action against the illegal transport of millet in the Bago Region and Mon State and also prevent the attempt to export illegal millet across the Yangon Region.
In addition, the illegal exportation of 11 containers in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was also discovered. As an extraordinary event, under the management of the Mon State Anti-Illegal Trade Special Task Force, 1,659 bags of undocumented millet without export licenses and QR codes were found suspiciously in five cargo trailers arriving at Mawlamyine Station on 2 August. According to related inspections, 51 wagons along the Bago and Mawlamyine routes and 37 suspicious trailers from Bago Station were identified.
A total of 611 cases (valued at K10,445.742 million) and 540 cases (valued at K12,434.244 million) were arrested in July and August 2023, respectively, due to the action of the Anti-Illegal Trade Special Task Force. Although the number of cases and the value of seizures were higher than the previous year, there are still illegal trades in the import and export segments. To ensure that there is no illegal trade, the import and export sectors should be more thoroughly identified and arrested by special teams than before, Chairman of the Illegal Trade Eradication Steering Committee State Administration Council Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win stated. — TWA/CT
