Lilongwe Police has arrested three dangerous criminals for being suspected to have been behind a series of attacks targeting travellers on various routes, including the famous by-pass road in the capital.
The three criminals have been identified as John Umali, 24, Francis Macley, 23, and Trevor Chagunda, 32.
Three young men arrested by Lilongwe Police
According to Lilongwe Police Spokesperson, Hastings Chigalu, the station’s vehicle patrol team, while moving around town at around 22:30 hours, spotted a Daihatsu Mira vehicle registration number NE 10166 that was coming from Area 36, joining the By-pass road before Malaina T-junction.
“Becoming suspicious with the way the vehicle was moving, the police team followed it up, and intercepted it.
Immediately the officers impounded the vehicle and arrested three occupants after one had immediately vanished from the scene,” he said.
Chigalu said upon searching the vehicle at the station, police found 2 brand new panga knives, Lenovo laptop, wrappers (zitenje), stethoscope, among others.
Three young men who were stealing from people in Lilongwe around By-pass road
While police were still searching and interrogating the suspects, he added, a certain woman arrived with a complaint claiming that she had been robbed of K507, 000 and a cellphone by the four criminals, who attacked her at a graveyard near Lilongwe Girls Secondary School.
The woman had boarded the suspect’s vehicle behind Lilongwe Bus depot, operating as a taxi heading Thanki stage in Biwi township saying the lady was on her way to Dedza from Mchinji.
“When taken to check with the three suspects, if they were among those who attacked her, the woman ably identified the criminals,” Chigalu said
And just few minutes later, he said, another woman, a nurse, also came and reported about a similar attack.
A nurse was able to recognize suspects’ faces and her items that included a laptop, one cellphone, stethoscope and medical drugs which they had robbed her, he said.
Meanwhile, Chigalu said, police investigation has established that the first suspect, John Umali, is an ex-convict from Maula Prison, who was pardoned last year. He was serving a 4-year sentence for the offence of robbery.
John Saidi hails from Chomba Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nsamala, Balaka, Francis Macley is from Namazuma Village, T/A Mabuka, Mulanje, whilst Trevor Chagunda comes from Namakhwa Village, T/A Chikowi in Zomba District.
Chigalu said the station’s detectives have intensified manhunt for the fourth suspect who is at large, and efforts to recover the stolen money is underway.
