Yesterday, Burmese authorities in Tachileik seized a Toyota Vigo hauling an estimated $ 2.2 billion worth of heroin blocks and took two suspects associated with the drugs into custody, but the man believed to be the real culprit was set free, said a Burmese military source this morning.
404 blocks of heroin were discovered by authorities in a Toyota truck at Seik Chan Gone Village in Tachileik Township. The truck had come from Monghsat Township’s Punako Village. According to the two suspects, Ah Bi and Ah Fa, the drugs belong to Ja Xibo, who is the No. 3 leader of Punako’s “People’s Militia Force” (PMF). Apparently, Ja Xibo’s home was raided after the drug bust but nothing incriminating was found, so no action was taken against him.
Commenting on Burma’s illegal drug situation, a Border Guard Force (BGF) officer said, “Burma is the only country where anyone—big or small—can deal in drugs and get away with it.”
BGF officers and PMF soldiers are both part of Burma’s military.
The village of Punako has long been known by Thai drug enforcement agencies as a major location for drug production and trafficking. Ja Ngoi and Ai Long are the leaders of Punako Village.
