September 11, 2023
In the busy areas of the Thai-Myanmar border town of Mae Sot, the number of pickpockets is increasing day by day, according to those who work in Mae Sot.
The number of pickpockets has been increasing day by day in crowded places in Mae Sot since August. A woman selling beauty products in Mae Sot Market said that it is more common on Sundays, which are the days off.
“What is common in front of us is in the market. On Sunday, the off-day, it is crowded and roads are blocked with factory workers. In crowded places on Sundays, the thieves divided the bag with a knife, then give it to another person, their accomplices, and through others,” she said.
She added that such pickpocketing in Mae Sot is not carried out by individuals but by groups.
“Now they do it by impersonating factory workers, and old ladies and young men, they give one to another at a time and thus can’t find stolen properties in their hands,” he said.
A woman shopping in Mae Sot Market was robbed of her wallet, divided by a knife, and her passport(s) was taken on September 10th. In addition, a woman died with a knife in her wallet in front of a Mohinga shop, and some money was stolen in the morning of today, September 11.
She said, “There are many people in the market on Sunday. They took advantage of the time when people were swarming at my Thanakha shop, no money was taken but a passport was stolen. They perhaps think of a passport as money and they can’t put it back because of no money. They took a passport owing to fear of being arrested. I feel sorry for the old lady who bought Thanakha. She was also afraid. This morning, there was a robbery in which they divided the wallet with a knife in front of the Mohinga shop in the market. I don’t know how much money was stolen with a knife.”
Last January 12, 2023, after the reopening of the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 1 in Myawaddy-Mae Sot, criminals in Myawaddy town entered Mae Sot town and started pickpocketing, robbery and looting according to Burmese people who live in Mae Sot.
News – Naw Phu Phu
Photo: CJ
Phar Si Than (People’s Radio Myanmar)
