Military junta checkpoints along the strategic highway linking Naungcho (Nawnghkio) in northern Shan State to Mandalay are demanding exorbitant fees from cargo trucks, drivers and traders report.

Since April, the regime led by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has tightened trade restrictions under a so-called "100-day plan," cracking down on Chinese imports. Drivers say checkpoints have used the measures as cover to intensify extortion along the route.

Inspections are exceptionally strict at key security posts in Kyaukme and Naungcho townships, as well as the Watwun village checkpoint and the 16-Mile checkpoint in Mandalay Region. While trucks can pass smoothly by paying unofficial brokers, the extortion rates have surged—with some six-wheel trucks forced to pay between 80 million and 100 million Myanmar Kyat (MMK) to clear security.

“These days, checkpoints don’t let anything through except food. They even block clothing and shoes,” a truck driver from northern Shan State told SHAN. “But if you have connections with brokers and pay the road fee, you can get through. For a six-wheel truck, it costs around 80 million to 100 million MMK. Soldiers then provide security and allow the vehicle to pass once the payment is made.”

Exorbitant fees have forced traders to abandon the direct highway for longer, circuitous bypasses, including the Mogok-Madaya and Kyaukgu-Sithar routes.

“Whichever route you take, you still have to pay at the checkpoints,” the driver added. “We used to operate more than 10 cargo trucks a day, but costs are now so high that we can only run two or three.”

Although the military claims the restrictions aim to block supplies to Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), residents say the measures primarily punish civilians and drive up living costs.

“The junta’s restrictions are hurting ordinary people, not the EAOs,” a trader from Muse said. “It has become so difficult to transport goods that prices have doubled or tripled. People will starve if this continues.”

Between 15 and 20 military checkpoints currently operate along the Naungcho-Mandalay corridor, extorting both commercial transport and passenger vehicles.

During a speech marking the end of the 100-day plan, Min Aung Hlaing urged the public to boost domestic production and cut imports. However, widespread bribery and logistical bottlenecks along key arteries have brought trade to the brink of paralysis, worsening Myanmar’s economic crisis.