SINGAPORE - An arms dealer for the Myanmar junta was recently fined after failing to declare that he was leaving Singapore with half a million dollars.
Checks by The Straits Times found that the personal details of Kyaw Min Oo, 41, matched those listed on various sanctions issued by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada.
Kyaw was caught on June 15, 2023, at Changi Airport Terminal 1 along with two other Myanmar nationals – Wai Sar Tun, 41, and Win Myint, 42 – after the police were alerted to them carrying cash amounting to more than $20,000 out of the country.
Wai was found with $250,000 in cash in one luggage bag, while Win had $249,000 in a separate bag.
The cash belonged to Kyaw, who was carrying $9,925, the police said in a statement on Jan 5.
All three men were convicted on Dec 26, 2023.
Kyaw was fined $10,000, while the other two men were fined $5,000 each.
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The Irrawaddy news outlet, which is published by Myanmar journalists exiled in Thailand, first reported on Jan 8 that Kyaw was an arms dealer for the current regime.
ST corroborated the information after viewing court documents and sanction lists by various governments. Wai is identified as a business partner of Kyaw’s company in Myanmar, according to a United Nations report compiled by UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews.
Meanwhile, Win is listed as an associate through Kyaw’s business dealings here.
Checks by ST found that he was the director of five different companies that all dealt with the trade of helicopter and aircraft spare parts.
These were Asia Aviation Trading, Sky Avia Trading, Heli Asia Trading, Heli White Trading and Sky Union Trading, in the order that they were registered. They were all registered between 2014 and 2017.
All of them turned out the same listed address at International Plaza and occupied the same unit, with Khaw stepping down from his role for each of them between April 18 and 19 in 2022.
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The US was the first to sanction Kyaw in November 2022.
In a statement on the US Department of the Treasury website, it said Kyaw facilitated arms deals and weapons purchases on behalf of Myanmar’s military.
His firm, Sky Aviator Company, also performed upgrades and maintenance for Myanmar’s military aircraft.
“Kyaw profits from the violence and suffering the military has inflicted on the people of Myanmar since the military coup,” said Mr Brian E. Nelson, the undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The EU was next to sanction Kyaw in February 2023.
Besides having his assets there frozen and being prohibited from receiving any funds, he is also barred from entering or transiting any of the EU member states.
The UK placed him on its own sanction list in October 2023 with similar restrictions.
That same month, Canada prohibited citizens from engaging in any activity related to Kyaw’s assets, as well as those belonging to his firm. A freeze on his assets in Canada was also applied.
ST understands that he was not deported following his conviction in Singapore, and has left the country of his own accord.
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Myanmar arms dealer among three convicted of trying to leave Singapore with half a million dollars
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