A policeman in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township has been taken into custody for shooting and killing two people, and injuring another three.
Another local officer confirmed to The Irrawaddy that the attack took place in the township’s Ward 3, and that the shooter was a private.
The deceased were two men, aged 25 and 43. A local youth leader who spoke to the Irrawaddy said that her 20-year-old cousin was one of the injured parties, and that he is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Lashio.
Authorities were able to arrest the shooter at the scene, and has opened a case for murder and attempted murder under Sections 302 and 307 of the Penal Code.
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear. While police confirm that no narcotics were found at the scene, many locals believe that the attack was allegedly ‘drug-related.’
Myanmar remains one of the world’s great drug producing nations, with the large majority of drugs originating in Shan State, in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups. Earlier this year, Myanmar authorities torched a combined US$385 million worth of seized narcotics in three official ceremonies around the country to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
