The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) has continued arresting local residents suspected of drug-related offenses in villages along the Gyaing River on the border of Mon and Karen states, according to local residents.
Between July 22 and 23, DKBA troops carried out raids in several villages and arrested three men. Those arrested included a village secretary and a resident of Munhlaing village in Khayit Kyauktan village tract, as well as another resident from Kawtbi village near Kyaikkhabin village.
A resident from the Gyaing River area identified the three men as village secretary Nai Ah Naing and local residents Nai Khin Maung Than and Nai Ah Dar. He said they were arrested on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking.
“The three of them are friends. We know the village secretary as someone with a good reputation. But they said they arrested him based on suspicion. I heard they found two packets of drugs and a firearm in Nai Ah Dar’s possession,” the resident said.
In April, the DKBA’s Western Dawna Region No. 2, Tactical Command No. 2 announced that anyone found guilty of possessing or distributing illegal drugs or psychotropic substances would face up to three years in prison.
Since then, DKBA troops have carried out a series of anti-drug operations in villages along the Gyaing River, conducting inspections, summoning suspects for questioning, and making arrests.
A local resident also said the DKBA recently arrested three additional men from Kanni, Tadar-U, and Kawt Hlyan villages in Kawkareik Township after allegedly finding illegal drugs in their possession.
“About 400 pills were seized in Kanni village, and around 800 pills were found on the man from Tadar-U. I’m not sure about the exact number seized in Kawt Hlyan. Those three villages are located close to one another,” the resident said.
In previous cases, people arrested by the DKBA were typically held at its camp in Paingyat village. However, the Independent Mon News Agency has not yet been able to independently confirm where the recently arrested men are being held.
On July 3, the DKBA arrested four youths for alleged drug use in Tarana village, Kyaikmaraw Township. One of the detainees later died while in DKBA custody.
While acknowledging the need to address drug-related problems in the area, some residents said arrests and investigations should be carried out transparently and in accordance with due legal process.
