Five Arakanese men were arrested in Chin State’s Tedim Township near the Indian border on Saturday, accused of violating immigration law and suspected of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA).
Col Han Win Aung, Chin State’s security and border affairs minister, confirmed the arrests to Khonumthung News but would not share further details because of an ongoing investigation to determine whether the men are members of the AA.
“It’s true they are under arrest. They have Indian ID cards. They got Indian citizenship. It’s possible they will be charged with immigration act,” he said, adding that the men’s Burmese ID cards were “fake.”
According to the Hakha-based Chinland Post, the men men traveled from Arakan State to Yangon before going onward to then they went to Kalay in Sagaing and then Rihkhawdar in Chin State. From there they went to Buddha Gaya through India.
The men’s names are Maung Aye Maung, Maung Than Soe Win, Maung Khaing Maung Soe, Maung Myo Min Hlaing, and Maung Shwe Win, the Chinland Post reported.