Mae sot: Two Myanmar nationals have been charged with serious offenses following a shooting incident that left a police officer seriously injured during a sting operation in Mae Sot. The suspects confessed, stating that panic led to the accidental discharge of the firearm.
According to Thai News Agency, police investigators from Mae Sot Police Station, Tak Province, took Mr. Naing, 20, and Mr. Min Zaw Thu, 20, to reenact the crime scene under tight security. The reenactment involved a Myanmar language interpreter and a large contingent of police from the Special Operations Unit. The two were arrested in connection with the shooting of Police Sergeant Seksan, 51, who was conducting a sting operation to purchase illegal firearms from the suspects when he was seriously injured.
During the reenactment, it was revealed that the events unfolded near a convenience store on the Mae Sot-Umphang road in Mae Ku Subdistrict. Mr. Min Zaw Thu rode a motorcycle with Mr. Nai, the gunman, as a passenger, to deliver an illegal firearm to undercover officers. When the officers identified themselves for the arrest, Police Sergeant Seksan approached Mr. Nai, who then drew a gun and shot Sergeant Seksan in the abdomen. Mr. Nai fled the scene, firing additional shots as he escaped.
After the incident, both suspects discarded their clothes in a sugarcane field to disguise themselves and hid the firearms before fleeing. Mr. Naing crossed the Moei River into Myanmar, where the Thai authorities coordinated with Myanmar through the Thai-Myanmar Local Border Committee to apprehend him. Mr. Min Zaw Thu was arrested soon after the incident.
The suspects confessed to the charges, although Mr. Nueng claimed the shooting was accidental due to panic. Authorities remain skeptical and have charged them with attempted murder, resisting arrest with a firearm, and possession of firearms and ammunition without a permit. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the firearms.
Police Sergeant Seksan, who sustained injuries to his abdomen, intestines, and back, has undergone surgery and is now out of danger. He remains under close medical supervision.