Malawi Police arrest 4 over illegal medical drugs possessions
Police Drug Section in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe has nicked four people for illegal possession of assorted medical drugs worth millions of Kwachas.
Central Region Police Public Relations Officer Noriety Chihana told Nyasa Times in an interview that the Central Region Police Drug Section Monday, July 17 arrested Hanika Chapolondana, 45, Yoweli Themba, 26, and 65-year-old Moses Njobvu, for illegal possession of assorted medical drugs.
Chihana said: “The police received a tip that the suspects were selling medical drugs in their respective places within Msambo and Chiwamba trading centres.”
She said that upon receiving the information, head of the Central Region Drug unit Superintendent Agness Sinkhonde-Mwabumba and her team accompanied by Pharmacy and Poisons board officials, managed to arrest the culprits and seized the said medical drugs from them.
Sinkhonde-Mwabumba in a separate interview appealed to Malawians to report anyone to the police selling medical drugs or keep them without authority.
“Selling or keeping medical drugs is not only a crime, it is dangerous and we plead to all people report to the police if they see anyone selling medical drugs or indeed keeping them without any authorisation,” said Sinkhonde-Mwabumba.
In a related development, Chihana said that other assorted medical drugs were also seized from the residence of Harrison Kaluma in Chiphwanya Village in Lilongwe after police received information that the suspect usually administers and sells drugs at his house.
“Unfortunately the suspect was not at his house when the officers and officials from Pharmacy and Poisons board raided the place,” said Chihana.
According to Chihana, the suspects will appear before court soon, to answer the charge of Being Found in Possession of Medical Drugs without Authority, contrary to section 45 (1) as read with section 65 (1) of the Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Act.
Said Chihana: “Police is, however, appealing to the general public to bring forth information regarding the whereabouts of Kaluma who is still at large.”
