A village tract administrator in Kachin State says he fears his life is in danger after he took part in a sting operation against a well-known drug smuggling ring in Mohnyin Township.
Khin Maung Htay, chief administrator of Nan Ma Village Tract, joined police and military personnel in the Nov. 10 operation, which ended in the capture of 28 members of the narcotics-smuggling gang. The gang’s leader, Nay Htun Htun (also known as Aung Win Htun) avoided capture, threatening Khin Maung Htay’s life as he escaped.
“He yelled out that he will come for me once he gets approval from above. Others heard it, too,” Khin Maung Htay told Eleven.
The administrator said that while the sting operation shut down the gang’s main headquarters, members of the gang continue to operate in six known locations within his jurisdiction.
“They’ve been in the business for decades. They even declared openly to the previous government that they are armed, dangerous, and are dealing drugs,” Khin Maung Htay said.
“[Nay Htun Htun] and his family have been convicted before. His brother is in jail, and he should still be in prison, too, but despite overwhelming evidence, he was incarcerated for just a few months in 2015 before being set free,” he said.
Khin Maung Htay said the drug lord lives near Kachin Independence Army territory, which will make another sting operation even more risky to those involved.
“It raises the question, who exactly is protecting him,” he said.
An unknown quantity of narcotics, as well as several weapons, including hand grenades, were confiscated from during the bust earlier this month.
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