Locals allege that the coup junta troops broke into the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warehouse located in Myoma Kanyintan Ward, Maungdaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State, and are now selling the stolen goods.

The junta also barred ICRC officials from visiting the warehouse following reports of a burglary.

“Junta troops are stationed around the warehouse. ICRC officials tried to inspect it after hearing about the break-in, but soldiers denied them access. The Binglar monastery and immigration offices nearby are also occupied by junta troops, making it impossible to approach the area”, an ICRC staff told Narinjara.

According to locals, junta troops and Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel allegedly broke into the ICRC warehouse on June 28, taking basic food items, flashlights, batteries, charcoal, cooking oil, and tarpaulin sheets, which they then sold at low prices to Maungdaw residents.

“In the market, some people were offering canned fish and canned beef to locals for only 3000 MMK each. They were also selling canned bamboo and peas for 2000 MMK per unit. When asked, they said soldiers had forced them to sell the goods. Some shops are selling bottles of cooking oil with the World Food Program (WFP) logo for 9500 MMK”, a woman from Maungdaw reported.

After withdrawing from Nyaungchaung Muslim Village, junta troops took up positions in several buildings around the ICRC garage, including the monastery and the immigration office.

After fighting broke out between the Arakha Army (AA) and the junta in the region, security guards at the ICRC warehouse locked the storage facility and evacuated on June 20.

“All the rice in the warehouse has already been handed to WFP, but dried food, canned products, consumer goods, and tarpaulin sheets are still there”, an ICRC security guard said.

Locals said the goods eventually reached the market as stolen items through junta troops.