Maungdaw, Arakan State: There was a daring robbery in Salay Pyin village, Maungdaw Township on June 7 at around 1 am, said a villager.

That night, three houses were robbed. The robbery occurred in the homes of two brothers Salamat Ullah (60) and Md. Salam (70), and the house of Asar Ullah (30), son of Ali Hussain. They all belong to Salay Pyin (Ramya Taung ) village of Maungdaw Township.

Around 25 robbers armed with knives and locally made pipe guns went to the village. After entering the houses, the robbers confined all the members in a room and looted gold ornaments, expensive clothes and radios.

According to the victims, they saw seven Rakhine and 18 Rohingya totaling 25 robbers entering northern Arakan for the robbery.

They robbed 10 Tolas (one Tola = 11.66 grams) of gold and some clothes from three houses despite a Nasaka camp being located near the village.

The entered the homes in the guise of Nasaka personnel to check and spoke Burmese fluently.  Owners of the houses opened the doors without suspecting anything, said a local trader.

The following day, the commander of the Nasaka camp No.12 of Nasaka area No. 6 in Maungdaw Township called all the victims for an investigation.  The VPDC Chairman was also called to the Nasaka camp.

A village elder said, “It is very strange, how the robbers dare to commit a robbery though the Naska camp is near the village.”