Dhaka (Mizzima) – A schooner carrying food supplies for government employees’ ‘fair price shops’ in Arakan State capsized after robbers looted the goods and scuttled it.

The Arakan State Co-operative society owned schooner, which left Pauktaw town to Yatheh Taung on June 13, was looted by robbers on arriving at the mouth of the Kaladan River, sources said.

The six crew members of the boat, who were on board, were ordered to jump into the water.

“The incident took place at dusk. The goods on board were transferred to the robbers’ boat and they left. The boatmen were ordered to jump into the water before the boats was scuttled,” a local resident from Pauktaw, who came to the Bangladesh border told Mizzima.
The boatmen were said to have been saved by fishing boats, which were passing by.

The robbers took the goods on board which included edible oil, soap, sugar, onion, garlic among others.

Eyewitnesses said a Burmese Army unit from the Sittwe town based Infantry Battalion No.20 later strengthened security and conducted a search. It stopped all boats and people moving in the area.