Myanmar's military junta imported 200 military-grade drone detection and direction-finding devices from Hong Kong through a private company despite facing international sanctions, according to leaked military documents.
The leaked documents indicate that the equipment consists of Handheld Drone Detection & Direction Finding Equipment (H1B-D), procured for the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) in Naypyidaw and the Office of the Chief of Defence Industries (KaPaSa). A private company reportedly secured the procurement contract and handled the importation of the equipment in multiple shipments.
According to the documents, the first shipment of 70 units was air-freighted from Hong Kong on February 29, 2024, and arrived at Yangon International Airport.
The documents further state that, to facilitate customs clearance, the importing company submitted a request to the Office of the Quartermaster General and used the military's MI Form (a tax-exemption form) to clear the equipment through customs at the airport.
The leaked records show that each drone detection device was valued at MMK 21,000,000, bringing the total value of the first shipment of 70 units to approximately MMK 1.47 billion.
The shipment reportedly had a net weight of 420 kilograms, a gross weight of 428 kilograms, and was packed in 19 cartons with a total volume of 3.044 cubic meters (CBM). The equipment was shipped from Hong Kong under Air Waybill No. 232-58904753, according to the documents.
Security analysts say such equipment is designed to detect and locate the radio-frequency signals emitted by drones, enabling military forces to identify the direction of incoming drones and provide early warning against drone attacks carried out by resistance groups during combat operations.
The leaked documents also suggest that the junta has been relying on private companies as intermediaries to procure military equipment from overseas, allowing it to circumvent international economic and arms sanctions while continuing to strengthen its military capabilities.
Photo: Leaked military documents from the Myanmar junta (Original Uploader)
