Last month in Mon State 4856 tablets of “ya ba,” or methamphetamine, were seized by police, doubling the totals for May when 2405 pills were intercepted and 36 people arrested on drug charges, according to the Mon State Anti-Narcotics Association.
Methamphetamine pills were confiscated in 7 of Mon State’s 10 townships in June, with the largest police seizure of 2450 tablets conducted in Moulmein Township. Police have yet to identify criminal drug activities in Kyaikmayaw, Chaungzone or Thanbyuzayat Townships, said Police Chief U Win Nyunt.
“In townships like Chaungzone and Kyaikmayaw, it is not that we didn’t seize drugs because they are not using drugs, but because we did not have solid evidence to conduct a seizure. Mistakes can be made if we initiate a raid using unreliable information. We have to respect the dignity of the public. But when we receive concrete proof, we go ahead and confiscate the drug and arrest the dealers and users.”
In June police arrested 44 men and 1 woman in Mon State who now face criminal charges of drug dealing and consumption, according to the Mon State Anti-Narcotics Association.
Referring to the anti-drug association, Police Chief U Win Nyunt said the group continues to spearhead awareness campaigns about the dangers of illicit drugs by organizing public discussions, setting up billboards, distributing pamphlets, and hosting events. But Nai Aung Ma Nge, chairman of the Dawei District in New Mon State Party (NMSP)-controlled area, said progress is still far off.
“This year has seen more drugs than last year. High school students have started using drugs. We are arresting drug users and dealers as fast as we can, but the spread of drugs is more powerful than our anti-drug groups. We won’t easily succeed in eliminating drugs.”
In addition to the Anti-Narcotics Association, other groups are organizing anti-drug campaigns in Mon State, including the Mawlamyine 38 Force, Ye 39 Force, and the NMSP.
After Moulmein Township, methamphetamine pills seized in Mon State in June totaled 1524 pills in Kyaikhto Township, 1106 in Mudon, 394 in Ye, 181 in Thaton, 171 in Paung, and 24 in Belin.
