Robbery incident was false, driver allegedly lied about losing money and valuables

It has been learned from sources close to the security forces that a vehicle robbery incident near Tapthone village in Maudon Township on the Mawlamyine-Maudon road did not occur, and that a driver had falsely reported it. Around 11 AM on September 11, last year, reports spread that a light truck and two cars traveling from Mawlamyine towards Maudon on the Mawlamyine-Maudon road near Tapthone village in Maudon Township were robbed by armed individuals, with cash amounting to 900,000 kyats and mobile phones being stolen. In relation to this incident, security forces conducted investigations and found that no robbery had occurred, and that the light truck driver had made a false report, according to a source close to the security forces. The source further stated, "The light truck driver is a man named U Sithu, residing in Win Kamo ward, Gonyinhtan ward, Kamawa town, Maudon Township. He is a driver of a market vehicle that transports fish vendors daily from Kamawa town to Mawlamyine town. On September 11, he claimed that money for parcel delivery and his mobile phone were lost. He then picked up the fish vendors who were riding in his light truck – Ma Thuza Aung, Ma Thuza Naing, Ma Moe Phyu, Ma Soe Soe, Ma Moe Hnin, and Daw Pan Hlaing from Kamawa town – in Mawlamyine town, and at a Kway Teow shop near Kankalay in Maudon town, U Sithu treated the fish vendors to Kway Teow and told them he needed their help." Subsequently, the light truck continued towards Kamawa town, and upon reaching Joker Bridge on the Maudon-Kamawa road between Tan Khone village and Nailun village, U Sithu stopped the light truck, got out of the driver's cabin, and claimed that 650,000 kyats entrusted to him for parcel delivery and a mobile phone had been lost. Fearing his wife's reprimand if she found out, he allegedly persuaded the fish vendors to falsely claim that his light truck and two cars were stopped by unidentified armed individuals on the road and robbed of their mobile phones and fish sale proceeds. The fish vendors who were riding in the vehicle also falsely claimed that their mobile phones and approximately 900,000 kyats in cash were stolen when an unidentified armed group stopped the vehicle between Thayargon village and Tapthone village, according to the source. It is understood that the relevant authorities are investigating U Sithu, the light truck driver who made these false claims.