Locals are calling for decisive action against drug dealers operating openly and boldly in Mogaung Town, Kachin State.

Town residents alleged that drugs are being sold openly in downtown wards, emboldened by the absence of arrests and prosecutions.

“With no action being taken against them, the dealers are openly selling drugs in the town center,” said a Mogaung resident.

Occasionally, police make symbolic arrests, but they mainly focus on users rather than dealers.

During such crackdowns, dealers temporarily move their operations to the town outskirts and nearby villages.

A woman from Mogaung told MNJ that drug dealers are selling drugs openly, as if they do not need to care about or fear anyone.

“They often act as if no one can touch them because they’ve bribed the authorities. Many young people in our town have fallen into drug addiction and seen their lives deteriorate,” she said.

In particular, drugs are reportedly being sold openly, like in a bustling bazaar, around Ayeyar Cinema in Zaykone Ward and behind the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) Church in Ywarthit Ward, she added. She also lamented that it was regrettable to see once peaceful and serene places transformed into such an awful atmosphere.

These sites are usually crowded. Methamphetamine sells for about 2,500 MMK per pill, while heroin can be obtained in small quantities for as little as 2,000 MMK.

Some drug users reportedly threaten and harm their families if they do not get the money they need, leading to violence within the community, another local pointed out.

Those who witness or are aware of drug sales are also afraid to report them to the authorities for fear of retaliation, and there is little confidence that the authorities will take their complaints seriously.

Meanwhile, as drug addiction spreads in the town, theft incidents increase, including the snatching of motors used for pumping underground water. At least two battery bike thefts have been reported in the town over the past week.

As a result, residents feel unsafe and must wake up at night to check whenever dogs bark, disrupting their sleep. Locals said that reporting thefts to the police makes no difference.

Since the coup, drug dealers in Mogaung Town have grown more emboldened, prompting locals to call for urgent action against them.