Five suspects arrested for killing monk and stealing cash and mobile phones

Five suspects have been arrested along with evidence in connection with the murder of a monk at the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery in Mobye Township, Yangon Region, and the subsequent theft of two mobile phones and 500,000 kyats. U Zun Panyawuntha (aka Dr. Phe Hla, 75 years old, 15 years ordained), a monk residing at the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery in Ward 2, Mobye Township, Yangon Region, was found stabbed to death inside the monastery's building on the afternoon of July 2. As two of the monk's mobile phones were reported missing, the Mobye Myoma Police Station filed a case under Section 302/394 of the Penal Code (Case No. Pa 322/2026) and formed a special investigation team to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The special investigation team, which included security force members, conducted investigations by scrutinizing individuals entering and exiting the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery and gathering information within the area to identify and arrest the suspects. On the afternoon of July 11, one of the perpetrators, Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay, 20 years old), a resident of Kalagyi Gone village in Mobye Township, was arrested at his home. Subsequently, based on the interrogation of Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay), two accomplices in the crime, Soe Raza (aka Soe Win Kyaw, 22 years old) and Way Yan Naing (aka Way Yan, 19 years old), both residents of Kalagyi Gone village, were arrested at their respective homes in Kalagyi Gone village, Mobye Township. Another suspect, Toe Win Kyaw (aka Toe Wai Kyaw, aka Kala, 28 years old), a resident of Hlaing Thar Yar (West) Township, was arrested near the Shwe Htet Tin Beer House in Ward 7, Hlaing Thar Yar (East) Township. During the interrogation of the four arrested individuals – Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay), Soe Raza (aka Soe Win Kyaw), Way Yan Naing (aka Way Yan), and Toe Win Kyaw (aka Toe Wai Kyaw, aka Kala) – it was revealed that they, along with the remaining suspect Soe Htet (aka AK-T), totaling five individuals, were working as masons in Kalagyi Gone village, Mobye Township. They met at Thet Paing Htun's (aka Paing Lay's) house on the afternoon of July 1, where Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay) mentioned his financial difficulties. Soe Raza (aka Soe Win Kyaw) then proposed robbing the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery in Ward 2, Mobye Township. At 10 PM, the five individuals entered the monastery building. Upon entering the building, they found the monk sitting on the bed. As the monk saw them, they stabbed him with a knife they had brought, approximately 18 inches long, and another knife found inside the building. They then stole two mobile phones and 500,000 kyats from the monk. The two mobile phones were taken by Soe Raza (aka Soe Win Kyaw) and Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay), one each. The stolen cash of 500,000 kyats was divided, with Way Yan Naing (aka Way Yan) taking 140,000 kyats, and Toe Win Kyaw (aka Toe Wai Kyaw, aka Kala) and the remaining suspect Soe Htet (aka AK-T) each taking 180,000 kyats, according to their confessions. Following the confessions of Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay) and the other three, efforts were made to recover the evidence. Two mobile phones were recovered from mobile phone parts shops in Mobye Township. The knife used in the crime and a shoulder bag containing slingshot ammunition were recovered from a drain within the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery compound. Furthermore, the remaining suspect, Soe Htet (aka AK-T, 19 years old), a resident of Toungoo Township, was arrested on the afternoon of July 12 near the Nyaung Pin Market in Ward 19, Toungoo Township. In this incident, all five perpetrators – Thet Paing Htun (aka Paing Lay), Soe Raza (aka Soe Win Kyaw), Way Yan Naing (aka Way Yan), Toe Win Kyaw (aka Toe Wai Kyaw, aka Kala), and Soe Htet (aka AK-T) – who killed the monk at the Sandar Ku Myain Yeik Thar monastery in Mobye Township and stole two mobile phones and 500,000 kyats, have been identified and arrested along with the evidence. Further investigations are underway to ensure they are prosecuted effectively in accordance with the law.