Myanmar drug fugitive arrested in Vietnam after regional manhunt

A key fugitive accused of trafficking 810kg of methamphetamine worth over K20 billion (US$892,180) has been arrested in Vietnam and extradited to Myanmar, according to regional authorities. Wai Tun, a 48-year-old owner of William Tun Company, was apprehended in Ho Chi Minh City on September 1 after a manhunt spanning Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

The case originated on July 6 when 500kg of the drugs were seized in Taungzinaye Village, followed by another 310kg discovered aboard a motorboat in Dala. Myanmar's Anti-Drug Police Force shared information on Wai Tun with Royal Malaysia Police, who monitored his movements and eventually traced him to Vietnam. Wai Tun allegedly left Myanmar for Malaysia on June 25, and Malaysian authorities alerted Singaporean and Indonesian authorities upon his departure from Malaysia on July 8.

Vietnamese authorities intercepted Wai Tun upon his arrival from Singapore on August 9, leading to his arrest in Ho Chi Minh City. On September 24, a delegation led by Vietnam's deputy secretary-general of the Anti-Drug Police Force handed Wai Tun over to Myanmar officials at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Myanmar has prioritized drug control and has intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking, cooperating with ASEAN members to arrest and extradite fugitives involved in transnational drug crimes.