Drugs were seized from a vehicle driven by a gunman who fired shots at traffic police in the Mon State capital of Mawlamyine this week, officers said.

The driver and alleged shooter, Nai Paik Htwe, fled the scene and remains on the run. Police lieutenant Tin Zaw Oo said that law enforcement seized 2,000 methaphetamine tablets—marked with the identifiers WY and R—from his car.

According to an officer from Myine Thayar police station, officers are looking for Nai Paik Htwe, who law enforcement say is a member of Mon Peace Defense Front (MPDF). MPDF declines that Nai Paik Htwe belongs to their group, and described his membership card as fake.

“Currently, soldiers and police are looking for Nai Paik Htwe everywhere. He is still at large. We have blocked every road. We have also reported it to security forces at all gates,” Pol Lt Tin Zaw Oo told NMG.

The shooting occurred at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, while police corporal Myo Zaw Oo and police lance corporal Thet Ko Oo were working on duty at Dawn Zayap traffic junction in Mawlamyine. They attempted to stop a vehicle with license plate number YGN 3K/3889 coming from Mudon Township, but the driver sped off.

The on-duty policemen followed in pursuit of the car, blocking it with motorbikes at the U Sitmaung-Thamain Baram junction in Myine Thayar ward. The driver then drove at the officers, shooting four to five rounds of bullets as the motorbikes were knocked over. A police corporal and a civilian were injured in the incident.

“This is the first case like this that has happened in Mawlamyine town in Mon State. We have to carefully investigate this case because the criminal is related to an armed group,” Pol Lt-Col Thein Tun Oo, deputy commander of Mawlamyine district police, said.

Police have opened a file at Myine Thayar police station for Nai Paik Htwe under Penal Code 333, for disturbing an on-duty serviceman, as well as 307—attempted murder—and various articles of the narcotics act.