Malawi Police impounds 200 bags of Indian hemp

Malawi Police at Nkhunga in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota district have impounded 111 bags of Indian hemp each weighing about 50 kilogrammes, the largest cache the law enforcers have ever netted since a series of road blocks have been set up along the Mzuzu to Blantyre Lakeshore road.

This development brings to 201 the number of bags of Indian hemp the Police at Nkhunga have impounded in October alone.

“This is the biggest load to be impounded and as Police we feel our drive to fight drug trafficking and crime in the country is bearing fruits,” Nkhunga Police Station Public relations Officer Labani Makalani said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times on Tuesday.

According to Makalani the 111 bags were confiscated during the night of 29th to 30th October, 2012 when Police received a tip off that some men wanted to traffic the substance from Dwangwa to Blantyre.

Cops inspecting bags of impounded cannabis

“Following this information, a team of Police Officers led by Operations Officer Assistant Superintendant Robert Twalibu mounted an impromptu check point at a certain place along the Dwangwa to Nkhotakota M5 tarmac road.

“At about midnight, they impounded a 10 tonne truck, registration number TO 3825 belonging to W.L. trucking of Thyolo district but the driver and all the occupants managed top escape,” Makalani said.

He said a moment later two men pulled to the scene whilst driving a Toyota vista saloon bearing a Zambian registration number AAQ 5223.

“They told the Officers that they were the owners of the bags and offered bribes to let the truck free but the officers turned down the offer. The Officers then arrested the alleged traffickers,” the Police Publicist said.

The alleged traffickers have been identified as Ali Alan Abdu, aged 42, of Makanjira village, Traditional Authority Katuri in Mangochi district and Harrison Banda, aged 23 years, of Saluti village, Traditional Authority khosolo in Mzimba district.

Police have since charged the duo with Being Found in Possession of Hemp Indian without License under regulation 4A of the Dangerous Drug Regulation as read with section 19(1) of the Dangerous Drug Act.

In a related development Nkhunga Police on October 8th 2012 also impounded 47 bags of Indian hemp which were concealed in an ERF truck registration number PE 2054 which was carrying 31 tons of coal destined for Blantyre.

Police arrested the driver Levi Mpata aged 31, of Kachikumba village, Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba district. The truck belongs to Mr. Prince Nthambazale of Nthambazale Transport in Mzuzu.

Nkhunga Second Grade Magistrate Court has since slapped Mpata with a 10 year imprisonment with hard labour jail term.

And during the night of the 19th to 20th October, 2012 Nkhunga Police also impounded a truck which had 43 bags of Indian hemp and arrested four suspects in the process

The suspects had creatively concealed the hemp inside bags containing maize and rice husks (Madeya) in order to evade scrutiny at Police check points. The hemp was destined for Blantyre.

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