Police sweep nets on-the-run criminals

A police routine sweep in Mchinji late on Sunday night led to the arrest of four notorious criminal who were on the Malawi Police Service (MPS) wanted list for crimes committed in Lilongwe.

The four, Jacob Willy, 21, from Traditional Authority (T/A) Maliri in Lilongwe, Mathews Banda,30, from T/A Mwansambo Nkhotakota, Paul Christopher, 29, from T/A Simphasi in Mchinji and Julius Phiri, 32, from Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota are now on remand at the Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe.

National Police deputy spokesperson Thomeck Nyaude confirmed the arrest in an interview on Tuesday.

“These criminals were primarily arrested for the offence of rogue and vagabond, but during screening on Monday our officers discovered that the four we on the most wanted list for break-in and theft especially in area 47,” he said.

Nyaude said in the process of interrogation, the criminals confessed they were responsible for many break-ins and theft in the city of Lilongwe.

“In their confessions, the four suspects also revealed they are also involved in cross border operations because whenever they committed a crime in Malawi they would hide in Mozambique from a while and then return to continue with their operations. In one of the offence committed in Mozambique, the suspects stole seven laptops which they sold in Malawi,” said Nyaude.

Nyaude said investigations are underway to recover the property.

He has since appealed to the public to avoid buying stolen property. n