An armed group clad in civilian clothes arrested over 20 drug users in Manjarm village tract in Namtu Township of northern Shan State last Thursday night (4 August).

Photo SHAN- The city center of Manjarm Village Tract, Namtu Township, Northern Shan State.

Over 50 people from the armed group entered the homes of the drug users and arrested them, Manjarm resident Sai Ai Loi told Shan Herald.

“The armed group clad in civilian clothes came with a list of opium users and their homes. They knocked on the door. They started arresting them at 7 pm. They took all the drug users and left the village at 10 pm. They left in the direction of Manmai. They came with a light truck and a four-wheel black vehicle. They took [the drug users] in those vehicles,” he said.

Manjarm village tract comprises eight wards, over 700 households, and a population of over 4,000. Many drug users live in this village tract and they are often arrested by the armed group, Manjarm resident Par Nang said.

“An armed group often comes to arrest them in the past on charges of using and selling drugs. Some people were arrested even though they didn’t use or sell drugs. Ransom money of up to 10 million kyats has been paid for their release. They spoke in Shan when they came to do the arrests. We believe they are from the SSPP (Shan State Progress Party) Brigade 1. I believe they came to correct the moral behaviour,” she said. “The arrested people were those that actually use drugs.”

However, the SSPP has not made any responses to this claim so far.

Currently, the number of drug users has been rising in Manjarm and Mongmu village tracts in Namtu Township and a yaba tablet can be bought for 400 kyats each.

Manjarm village tract is located 30 miles west of Lashio and 20 miles south of Namtu.