On Monday, the Zoland People’s Defense Force detained four regime police officers in northern Chin State, including a lance corporal in the police service.
A PDF officer stated that these men were extorting a significant amount of money from civilians in Tedim Township.
“They caused a lot of trouble for drivers and travelers…People are facing many hardships and difficulties, and we cannot ignore them. So, we arrested the four policemen.”
The police were operating under the Burma army at a checkpoint between the towns of Tedim and Rhih. They would extort truck drivers, demanding hundreds of thousands of kyat.
The officer explained how his troops arrested them between Tedim and the village of Lamzang.
“Our troops hid in an unexpected place. When they arrived, our troops immediately emerged from the hiding place with their guns drawn,” the resistance fighter said. The soldiers shouted at them to lie down on the ground and then arrested them.
“We are keeping them in a safe place. We did not beat or torture them, but we are questioning them,” he added, mentioning that they were providing enough food.
The detainees are identified as Kyaw Thura Soe, Hkup Khan Tong, Sithu Moe, and Chan Nyein Kyaw. Two of them are known to be drug users.
The PDF has vowed to take punitive actions against the police officers but hasn’t provided any details about what this may entail.