Maungdaw, Arakan: Personnel from Maungdaw police station register false cases against shopkeepers in Maungdaw when they want money from someone, said a businessman in the town.

Mohamed, a tea shop owner, near Maungdaw High School , was summoned by Maungdaw police station and arrested on July 28, on the allegation that he was involved in illegal cattle trade to Bangladesh , when the fact is he always sits in his teashop, said a source close to the police.

The police demanded Kyat 300,000 for his release and if he failed to fulfill the demand he would have to serve a long jail term for illegal border crossing and smuggling to Bangladesh , said a relative of shopkeeper.

On that evening, Mohamed's family members gave the money demanded through a close aide of the police, he added.

On other hand, some sources said, on July 27, a class X student, Mohamed Rafique, 27, son of Karim Ullah, from Kyuk Chaung (Shill Kali) of Maungdaw, entrusted 200,000 Kyats to the owner of tea shop, which Rafique wanted to pay for lodging to the owner of lodge while he was going to the school. Maybe someone saw him giving the money and informed the police. So the police lodged a false case against him to take the money.

"In Maungdaw, most of the Rohingya community shopkeepers face allegations whenever the police want to extort money," said a local resident.