Ransom for abducted Anyar businessperson skyrockets to 800 million kyats
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Phyo/Thant Zin - (NP News) - Jan 1
In the central Myanmar regions of Magway, Mandalay and Sagaing, PDF groups have been kidnapping businessmen and demanding ransoms of up to 800 million kyats per person. In the Anyar region, it has become more common for PDF groups to kidnap businessmen and release them only after receiving ransoms of hundreds of thousands of kyats.
“In Nyaung- U, PDF groups abducted businessmen from the city center and took them to the other side of the river. From there, they kept extorting money. They asked for up to 800 million kyats, but eventually settled for 750 million kyats. The other day, they demanded 600 million kyats for an abducted oil businessman. When PDFs received only 150 million kyats because the bank was closed, they dumped the dead body at the train station. Despite the 150 million kyats, PDFs killed that person,” said a Nyaung-U resident.
He said that most of the PDF group's abductees are wealthy people from the business community, and depending on their financial circumstances, they demand ransoms ranging from a few hundred thousand to million kyats.
“Ransoms differ depending on whether the victim is a businessperson or an ordinary person. Even today, we heard that PDFs from Natmauk had abducted someone in Taungdwingyi. After the abduction, they demanded 500 million kyats. They also took a big vehicle and workers along with them. In most cases, when gold or vehicles are taken, they are not returned—only the person is returned. Vehicles are especially hard to get back. The other day, a group from Kyaukse also had their gold taken; only the people were released. It involved two families and went viral,” he said.
He also said that amid financial difficulties, PDF groups have resorted to kidnapping wealthy individuals and extorting large sums of money because they find it difficult to survive.
The source continued that some businessmen are panicking because the kidnappers are targeting them and other wealthy persons.
“They’re under increasing pressure now. In this area, the public has started to reject them, so they no longer have places to stay or operate, and that’s why these things are happening. And when they want to abduct someone, they simply label that person as a supporter of the government, a ‘dalan’ or ‘spy.’ That’s what’s happening now. It’s extremely worrying. Because of this, businesspeople are afraid of it—they no longer dare to go out much,” the above-mentioned source said.
Recently, the Nyaung-U PDF group kidnapped pilgrims coming to Bagan, demanding a ransom of 120 million kyats and gold jewelry in exchange of their release.
Similarly, on July 13, a PDF group abducted the wife of a fuel business owner from Nyaung-U Township in Mandalay Region and also robbed 50 million kyats in cash. It is reported that she was later released after a large ransom was paid.
In Nyaung- U Township alone, the PDF group was responsible for at least four kidnappings in 2025, with ransoms of up to million kyats being demanded. –