Police is Lilongwe has announced that two criminals have stolen a vehicle in Lilongwe after they gave poisoned food to a taxi driver, who became unconscious and dumped him at the Bypass road.
Meanwhile, for the past week, Kamuzu Central Hospital received four people who presented similar cases of drug poisoning, adding that all were taxi drivers — who are hired by passengers and during the journey they are offered a drink which induces them to be drowsy and weak.
Targeted vehicle Daihatsu Mira
The drivers are dumped by the roadside and the passengers carjack the taxi, whose target are Daihatsu Mira.
The hospital director, Dr. Ngona thus warns taxi drivers not to accept drinks from their passengers.
The car stolen on the Bypass road is also a Daihatsu Mira, registration number CA 6472 which was stolen last night at around 7pm, says Lilongwe Police spokesperson Hastings Chigalu.
Chigalu says the driver was admitted to Kamuzu Central Hospital where he is receiving treatment while the police hunt for the suspects.
Commenting on Facebook, Ken Jenda was incredulous that people seem not to learn as this trick has happened several times, saying: Why would you receive food from a stranger. Ndangokwera nawo and sukundidziwa. We are living in a dangerous world”
Another commentator advised that not only drivers should accept food from unknown people but even passengers shouldn’t share any food, while Vinnie Cent says he advises his child from receiving food from strangers.
He added that when they are together and a stranger insists, he receives throw it away later — “kupatura poison, kuli CoVID-19, cholera, TB (apart from being poisoned, there is contagious CoVID-19, cholera, TB). Come on people.”
The trick of food poisoning was common targeting cross-border traders, who when unconscious would be robbed of their goods once they reach the boarder.
Also common as robbery style is using a hired taxi as a gate away car. The driver is asked to wait at a dark spot on the pretence that the robbers are to pick up goods only to come back with stolen goods and order the driver at gun point or a machete to drive off.
Many such victims fail to report to authorities for fear of being suspected of being accomplice but they are still found by the police when witnesses record the taxi’s license plates.
