One Shot Dead in Drugs Raid in Yangon’s Mingalardon Township

By May Sitt Paing 27 May 2019

YANGON—One person died in a police raid on the home of a suspected drug dealer on Saturday in Yangon’s Mingalardon Township.

Acting on a tip, police raided a house in No.3/B Ward in Mingalardon Township on Saturday evening. When the suspected drug dealers resisted arrest, the police opened fire, killing one 19-year old man and injuring a number of others, according to witnesses.

A number of weapons were seized from the premises during the raid, including swords, a spear and an air gun.

“What we can tell you for the time being is that we have seized 56 yaba pills. The regional government will release details,” a police officer of Mingalardon Township Police Station told The Irrawaddy at the scene.

“We have the authority to enter a locked building. If [a suspect] doesn’t surrender himself, we can use physical force under Section 46 of the Police Code of Procedures to arrest him. If he resists, we can shoot to arrest him. This power is given to the police because criminals have risen. This power is given because we are concerned that civilians will be bullied by criminals. If they can do this even to the police, you can imagine what they would do to [unarmed civilians],” said the police officer.

“I heard the gunshots. As the police climbed over the fence, a [young man] from the house attacked them with a sword. [He] was shot dead as he tried to defend his father,” said eye-witness Ma Myint Myint.