MAE SOT — Thai police launched a manhunt involving more than 100 officers on 21 January 2026 after a Myanmar national allegedly shot and seriously wounded a police officer during an undercover operation to buy illegal firearms in the border district of Mae Sot.
The shooting occurred at about 08:30 during a planned sting by Mae Sot police on a roadside near a convenience store along the Mae Sot–Umphang highway in Phalad village, Mae Ku subdistrict, Tak province. Officers had arranged to purchase a firearm from two suspected members of a cross-border weapons trafficking network.
As police moved in to make arrests, one suspect resisted and opened fire with a handgun, shooting Police Sergeant Major Seksan Kangka, 51, an officer with Mae Sot police. The bullet pierced his abdomen, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to Mae Sot Hospital, where doctors carried out emergency surgery.
Authorities appealed for blood donations from local residents to support the operation. Hospital officials later said the officer had come out of surgery and was no longer in immediate danger, though he remains under close observation for at least 24 hours to prevent post-operative complications.
One suspect, identified as Min Soe Thu, 20, a Myanmar national, was arrested at the scene and is being questioned. Police said details of the investigation could not yet be disclosed.
The second suspect, identified as Nyai Re Aung, 20, also a Myanmar national, fled after the shooting, abandoning a motorcycle at the scene and escaping with a handgun and an unknown amount of ammunition. Police believe he headed towards the Thai-Myanmar border, an area of dense forest.
Through the night and into the morning, Mae Sot police coordinated with Border Patrol Police Unit 346, local administrative officials and army forces from the Rachamanu Task Force to seal off the area and search for the suspect. As of Tuesday morning, he had not been found.
Authorities said they are adjusting their search strategy and have circulated the suspect’s photograph on local social media, urging residents to report sightings to community leaders immediately. Intelligence units have also shared the suspect’s details with Myanmar counterparts to help block a possible escape.
Security has been tightened along main and secondary roads near the border, with checkpoints established and armed teams deployed on foot in targeted areas. Officials warned they would respond decisively if the suspect attempts to shoot his way out, amid concerns he may try to flee across the Moei River, which has run dry in places, making crossings easier.