Police arrest woman conman, trickster

Police in Lilongwe have arrested a 44-year old woman suspected to be a serial conman and habitual trickster who scammed various individuals money in excess of K70 million.

Police have identified the woman as Janet Shaba.

Lilongwe’s Lingadzi Police public relations officer Salomy Zgambo said according to police records, in 2020 Shaba who was renting a house in Area 14, Lilongwe belonging to Mrs Kamia Kaluma Sulumba borrowed K40 million from Mr Philimon in City Centre.

“After the agreed period, the suspect failed to settle the loan whereby she lied that she owned the house she was staying and consequently asked the owner of the money to top her up in order to buy the said property from her.

“She managed to forge the documents of the house and duped Mr Philimon who later discovered the real owner of the house after the suspect fled to unknown destination.

“It is also reported that, in April this year the suspect hired a motor vehicle on self-drive and forged the blue book before she gave it as collateral to the loan shark at K1.2 million at Walilanji area which was later recovered by the police.

“Similarly the suspect reappeared in June, 2023 and rented another house in Area 18 and received the sum of K1.5 million from another person she convinced to buy the house however she was arrested by the police in the process of forging documents.

“Meanwhile similar complaints are still popping up and Investigations are  underway. She will appear before court after the completion of paperwork,” she said

Shaba hails from Shaba village in Traditional Authority  Mthwalo in Mzimba.