Mizzima
According to a report published 20 February by Data for Myanmar, in the last three years since the military coup, a total 82 cases of bank heists and gold shop robbery cases occurred across the country.
Robbery cases targeting banks and gold shops were rare in the past but increased sharply after the 2021 coup.
In these last three years, 25 bank robbery cases and 57 gold shop robbery cases totaling 82 cases were committed.
Most of these bank heist cases took place in 2021 and 2022 and then it fell gradually, Data of Myanmar report says.
The largest incidents of these robbery cases took place in Mandalay with 12 cases of gold shop robberies.
Yangon has the second largest incidents of such robbery cases with six gold shop robbery cases.
The report of Data for Myanmar says that at least one case of such robbery occurred every month in the period from May 2022 to February 2024.
The gold shop robbery cases also occurred in Kachin State, Sagaing and Mandalay Regions, and southern and northern Shan State.
Similarly, three gold shop robbery cases occurred in Hpakant, it being the third largest city with such cases.
In these cases, some cases were committed by lone robbers and in other cases they were committed by two-to-five people gangs.
There were seven gold shop robbery attempt cases and there were 50 unsuccessful robbery cases. In these cases, one gold shop owner and one gold shop staff were killed and seven were injured.
The Data for Myanmar report estimates the losses in these gold shop robbery cases at about 15 billion Kyat.
The report says that they compile this report in chronological order and they do not include the robbery cases committed at residential homes, shops and stores, on roads and vehicles in this report.
