Lawreh, the administrator of Number 3. District said: “The anti-drug group are responsible for the arrest and we were in charge of the transportation [of the prisoners]. Their punishment will be the responsibility of the Central Committee and the KNPP administration unit.”

The three arrested people were: U Philip Po (27 years), Daw Thin Ye (67 years) and Daw Ma Hla (32 years). The KNPP also seized some of their property, including two telephones and three motorcycles.

The three were arrested in possession of methamphetamine when the KPP searched Daw Tin Ye’s house.

Daw Than Aye bought the drugs and got Daw Ma Hla, who is from Mobye Township, to transport the drugs from Mobye Township to Daw Thin Ye’s house in Bak-The-Lin Village. Daw Thin Ye kept the drugs in her house and sold them from there.

U Philip Po took U Poereh, a customer, to Daw Thin Ye’s house.

U Philip Po said: “I only introduced the customers to the seller, I did not touch the drugs.”

According to Sayar Lawreh, a KNPP spokesperson the person who actually owned the drugs, Daw Than Aye and the drug user U Poreh are still free.

In 2014 the KNPP have arrested people in 15 drug-dealing cases, they are not sure of the exact value of the drugs seized, but it is about 10 million kyats.

In 2013 the government seized 13.6 million kyats worth of raw poppy and other drugs and in 2014 they have seized 646.7 million kyats of worth of drugs the state prime minister U Khin Maung Oo announced at the celebrations for the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the formation of the National Police Force, held at Loikaw Township in Karenni State on 1st October.

The government and the KNPP have signed an agreement to collaborate in the fight against drug cultivation, production and dealing, but it has not yet been put into practice.

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI