September 1, 2026
The relevant administrative body has arrested a group of drug users caught stealing diesel fuel in Maw Maung Layan village, Aye Mya Thar Yar village tract, in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township.
The arrests were made at tarpaulin tents inhabited by drug addicts near Nyaung Pin Kone, an area where military council troops are stationed. Reports indicate that the fuel theft was carried out by an organized group.
“The fuel was stolen from the KNDBC company site. These guys have been doing this for a long time. When we were displaced by the war, they were likely the ones who broke into the abandoned houses in the village,” a local resident of Maw Maung Layan told Manau Voice.
The relevant authorities are currently detaining the arrested individuals while actively pursuing others who managed to escape.
“Once the arrested person confessed, the connected accomplices were also caught. That specific area is known as a real gathering hub for thieves and robbers,” stated a resident of Myoma ward.
Civilian homes that were left abandoned for over a year due to the armed conflict have frequently been subjected to burglaries and looting. These looters have reportedly included both military council troops and local drug addicts.
After enduring over a year of displacement, residents of Maw Maung Layan village were finally permitted to return to their homes starting August 1, following mutual agreements between the military junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
