Man found in possession of fake dollars
Police in Blantyre on Monday arrested 29-year-old man for being found in possession of fake US dollars.
The man, Christopher Banda, is said to have tricked a business man Thokozani Kazima to buy from him the fake currency at K700 a dollar.
Blantyre Assistant Police Publicist Andrew Mayawo said afraid of being duped, Kazima asked his two friends to stand close by during the business transaction.
The fake dollars
“It was after Banda had produced the dollars that Kazima became suspicious and signaled his friends who joined them and confirmed that the dollars were fake. They immediately called the police,” explained Mayawo.
He said after searching, police found Banda with $700 (K 517 300).
Mayawo said they have also discovered that Banda is a common criminal who has committed various offences in the city including theft.
He will be taken to court soon to answer charges of being found in possession of forged bank notes and selling articles bearing designs in imitation of currency.
The dollars have been taken to the Reserve Bank of Malawi for official recognition.
Police have since urged the general public to be cautious and buy foreign currency from banks and certified money bureaux.
Still in Blantyre, police are keeping two men for allegedly stealing maize at Machinjiri Admarc depot.
Blantyre Police Publicist Elizabeth Divala said the two Maliko Chiutsi, 39 and Stanford Mazengera, 31, were both caught after police officers visited the depot and some buyers confided in them about the two suspects’ behaviour.
Chiutsi works as a guard at the depot and Mazengera a development committee member for the area.
After investigation, 30 kilograms of maze were found in Mazengera’s house.
They will be taken to court soon to answer charges of conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
Chiutsi is from Matipa village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chingale in Zomba and Mazengera is from Kamkuta village in T/A Chimaliro in Thyolo.
