Malawi Police in crackdown on medical drugs theft: Another arrest recorded
Malawi Police in Mulanje district have arrested a 45-year-old man, Alexander Chigalu for being in possession of assorted medical drugs without permit.
Chigalu, police said, was arrested on Saturday following a tip-off.
“Today (Saturday 5th march) after receiving a tip that someone was selling drugs at Chitakale Trading Centre, a patrol team invaded the suspect’s shop where assorted drugs believed to be from government hospitals were found,” explained Mulanje police Public Relations officer, Gresham Ngwira.
Apart from the drugs, Ngwira said, Chigalu was also found with bunches of Life cigarettes.
The drugs were confiscated and are currently in the hands of the law-enforcers.
Among others, the confiscated drugs include Indocid, bactrim, LA, Albendazole and Panado.
Chigalu who hails from Kumwamba village, T/A Mabuka in Mulanje, is expected to be arraigned on the charge of Found in Possession of Medical Drugs without Permit contrary to section 45 of the Drugs Act.
The development comes after Police arrested two officers from Dedza District Hospital and a businessman for stealing medical drugs amounting to K831,000 ($1 102).
Dedza Deputy Police publicist Cassim Manda identified the hospital officers as Sifuliyano Nkhundula,45, a Pharmacy Technician, Lameck Mbendera, 40, a hospital driver and Victor Ulaya a businessman.IMG-20160302-WA0004_resized
According to Manda on March 1 2016, police received a tipoff that a vehicle registration number MZ 2036 was carrying suspicious goods.
The drugs include amoxicillin, aspirin, doxycycline, metronidazole and cotrimoxazole just to mention a few. They have been certified and weighed by the Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Board.
Meanwhile, the law-enforcers have appealed to the general public to refrain from stealing or buying government drugs.
“Theft of government drugs has a negative effect on government’s efforts of ensuring good medical service to the nation. Police will continue arresting such unscrupulous people because they are a threat to development,” said Ngwira.
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