Malawi Government vehicle involved in armed robbery
Police in Lilongwe are keeping in custody five people including a civil servant who using a government vehicle, staged a day-light armed robbery at one of the residences in Malawi’s Capital City.
Lilongwe Police spokesperson Ramsy Mushani confirmed the arrest of the four who he said used a government vehicle registration number MG 748 AF.
The suspects who are said to have been six in total but one of them bolted during a cat and rat chase were armed with machetes and a gun when they attacked the residence of an Indian national Shammeer Aboo in the posh Area 9 residential area.
Mushani identified the government driver as 36-year-old Andrew Kazembe from Mmemo village, T/A Makwangwala in Ntcheu.
“The suspects invaded the house at noon and tied all his family members with ropes and forced them into one room as they demanded for cash with threats to kill,” said Mushani.
He said the other five suspects allegedly connived with the driver of the government vehicle. During the attack they stole four cell phones, a laptop and K75,000.00 cash.
Mushani explained that the five were arrested by 990 Rapid Response Crew following a chase within the neighbourhood, after police were alerted by Aboo’s neighbours who heard continuous screaming from his house.
The other suspects are Geoffrey Alli, 33 who hails from Kauma village in the area of T/A Tambala in Dedza, 28-year-old Frank Semu from Kalima village, T/A Masasa, Ntcheu, Abdalla Chapuma Phiri, 28 from Kachere village, T/A Ndindi in Salima and Yusuf Kalembo 30 from Kalembo village, T/A Kalembo in Balaka.
“The fifth suspect (the driver) got arrested at Lilongwe Main Post Office upon trying to escape from the scene using the vehicle in question,” said Mushani.
He said it is believed that the suspect who escaped went away with three cell phones, a laptop and unspecified amount of money while police recovered one Blackberry smart phone and some cash from the suspects and impounded the vehicle they were using.
