Crime up by 5% in Lilongwe

Police in Lilongwe say crime has gone up by five percent in the past six months partly due to an influx of foreigners in the capital city.

Lilongwe Police Station general duties officer Petro Mkokamasa said the station recorded 1 808 criminal cases between January and June this year from 1 722 cases recorded during the same period last year.

He said this on Friday during a station executive committee meeting aimed at strengthening capacity of community policing forums.

Mkokamasa said efforts are being done to address high levels of crime through coordination with existing community policing structures.

He said: “Some foreigners beat our porous borders and engage in crime in the city.

“Second, political tension and the Covid-19 pandemic have also contributed to a rise in crime.”

However, Lilongwe Police Station traffic officer superintendent Willard Mbwela said road traffic accidents have decreased.

He said 60 people have died in road accidents between January and June this year compared to 61 people who died in the same period in 2019.

Mbwela blamed unregistered motorcyclists for the spike in road accidents.