Police in Kanengo yesterday arrested 13 suspected illegal miners from Chiwamba area in Traditional Authority Chimutu in Lilongwe.
The arrests come two weeks after police warned people during a sensitisation campaign about the dangers of the activity.
Lundu Mine
Kanengo Police Station deputy spokesperson Salome Chibwana said in an interview the communities were warned that continuation of their mining activities was a crime under the law.
She said: “We reminded the communities that illegal mining was not acceptable under the Mining Act as well as the laws of Malawi.
“We also warned them that the mines can collapse and kill them like it happened in the Dedza incident.”
During the sensitisation, community members acknowledged that they knew illegal mining was against the law but said it was their only source of livelihood.
Among the 13 arrested miners, three are women and 10 are men. The people are currently at Kanengo Police and will answer charges of illegal mining contrary to the Mining Act, according to Chibwana.
Some of the areas experiencing illegal mining, activities in the district include Lundu and Kumayani villages.
