Extortion of commuters and transport operators has sharply intensified at the military junta-controlled Ahbit checkpoint in Mon State’s Mudon Township, with non-local travelers being forced to pay steep fees to avoid arbitrary detention, drivers and residents reported Thursday.

Located along the Ahbit–KaleTagundaing road—a crucial leg of the Mudon–Kyainseikgyi–Three Pagodas Pass highway connecting Mon State, Kayin State, and the Thailand-Myanmar border—the checkpoint serves as a major transit node for hundreds of daily commuters and freight vehicles.

Recent changes in military protocol have shifted from general vehicle inspections to individual interrogations. Junta personnel are systematically scrutinizing identity cards, demanding at least 20,000 kyats per person from travelers whose documentation shows they reside outside the immediate area.

“If they don’t pay, they are subjected to lengthy checks and questioning,” a local route driver told Mon News, noting that travelers comply out of fear of prolonged delays. “In the past, drivers could negotiate on behalf of passengers. Now, individuals are checked one by one.”

The heightened harassment has disrupted local transit networks, with drivers increasingly refusing to transport out-of-town passengers to avoid confrontation at the barrier.

Commercial logistics have been similarly affected.

Freight truck drivers report being forced to pay up to 300,000 kyats per vehicle, while junta forces frequently confiscate transported goods alongside monetary demands.

Residents add that informal checkpoints operated by other armed factions in the vicinity are compounding the financial burden on travelers by levying unpredictable, unregulated tolls along the corridor.