Rising drug abuse without law enforcement intervention has led to an alarming surge in theft and robbery in Ye Township, Mon State, according to local residents.
Locals report that drug use has become so widespread that it seems almost legal, with organized groups committing thefts, robberies, and armed assaults. This has not only created a security crisis but has also severely impacted the livelihoods of residents.
In the second week of March, large quantities of stored crops were stolen in Ye, including entire sacks of betel nuts and rubber weighing around 300 kilograms. Farmers have also reported that nearly all their harvested produce has been looted.
“Thefts have increased. They took a truckload of betel nuts and around 300 kilograms of rubber from my storage. Even if they get caught, nothing happens. Authorities don’t take action. Most of those caught are drug users,” said a local resident.
According to residents, the perpetrators, mostly young and middle-aged individuals, operate in groups, targeting farms during the day and homes in urban and rural areas at night.
When locals apprehend thieves, they are reportedly handed over to the local military council, which releases them after collecting fines ranging from 2 million to 3.5 million kyats per person. Those who cannot pay are allegedly forced into military-related labor.
“Just the other day, they arrested a large group and seized 600 meth pills, including both buyers and sellers. But today, they’re free again after paying money. The authorities don’t really want to take action; they’re just using arrests to extort money,” said a resident from Duya.
Armed resistance groups reportedly control the local drug trade, making law enforcement intervention ineffective. As a result, drugs—including WY meth pills—have reached schools, and drug use among young people has surged.
“Opium leaves and meth have become part of social gatherings. These substances are now as common as food at weddings and monk ordination ceremonies. In areas where there’s no strict control, people use them openly, just like drinking alcohol,” said a young Mon resident.
Currently, opium leaves are being sold at 25,000 kyats per kilogram, while a single WY meth pill costs around 3,000 kyats.
Despite checkpoints and CCTV cameras installed in Ye and at key entry points, residents claim there have been no arrests.
