The junta’s intensified crackdown on unregistered vehicles in Mon State is turning into a massive money-making opportunity for the authorities involved and is fuelling widespread corruption, according to Mon State residents.
Since 1 June 2025, junta soldiers, highway police, junta aligned militia members and civilian officials from various departments have been identifying and impounding unregistered cars and motorbikes across Mon State townships.
The junta's inspection teams often extort large bribes from owners of unregistered vehicles to not arrest them, release the vehicles and allow them to continue on their way.
When caught with unregistered vehicles, owners are forced to pay whatever amount the junta authorities demand in order to avoid imprisonment.
The bribes range from several hundred thousand MMK to millions of MMK, according to a Mon State resident who wished to remain anonymous.
He said to Than Lwin Times: “The owners have to pay money both for their vehicles and to get themselves released. The inspection teams are even carrying out roadside checks in the evenings when people are coming home from work. In some cases, they’ve demanded up to 3 million MMK for a single vehicle.”
Another Mon State resident, who also asked to remain anonymous, said that whilst some people arrested with unregistered vehicles were imprisoned, those with junta connections or enough money to buy their freedom were let go.
He said: “Some people were jailed for a month and had their motorbikes confiscated. It really varied depending on the circumstances and the person’s background. Sometimes, authorities just took the motorbike and released the owner. Those with connections to the junta often managed to avoid arrest.”
The junta authorities sentencing the owners of unregistered vehicles to one month in prison under the Import and Export Act unless they have junta connections or can afford large bribes has led to growing criticism of the junta’s corruption amongst Mon State residents.
Since the crackdown on unregistered vehicles began in Mon State, hundreds of vehicles have been seized and their owners charged under the Import and Export Act.
