Female cop caught smuggling, loses K0.5m worth of products in raid

Court martials in conjunction with the police officers raided the house of a female law enforcer, Lexa Mkanda-Namacha, at Nsungwe in Lilongwe’s Area 25 where they impounded goods worth over K500 000.

This has prompted Kanengo Police Station in Lilongwe to institute investigations to establish why a law enforcer could engage herself in smuggling and trading in counterfeit products from the neighbouring countries.

The probe will determine the action the management will take against Mkanda-Namacha.

Shops such as Smokers and Peters had their smuggled goods worth K2 million. The law enforcers also pounced on another lady smuggler, Linda, where they impounded goods worth K1 million.

A court martial, speaking in strict condition of anonymity, told Nyasa Times that Mkanda-Namacha has been using her house as a warehouse.

Kanengo Police Station’s public relations officer, Esther Mkwanda, said in an interview on Wednesday that the police management will investigate the issue and take the right action on the cop.

“We didn’t know there was a raid. But upon inquiries, we have learnt that the raid took place and that Mkanda-Namacha’s house was also targeted. But she is saying the products were her counsin’s,” said Mkwanda.

But the police publicist stressed that the issue has generated interest in police management and are interested to probe it.

Local manufacturing companies have been lamenting that smuggling is negatively affecting their businesses while the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is complaining that illegal trade is affecting their revenue collection drive.