Police nab Zimbabwean, 6 Malawians for robberies: K10m worth of goods recovered
Police in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe have apprehended a Zimbabwean national for being suspected of masterminding a series of armed robberies that have hit the city between December 2013 and January this year.
The Zimbabwean, identified as 34-year-old Dan Siyondo, from Chief Nyahunda in Masingo, was arrested alongside his six Malawian accomplices.
They were all nabbed during an operation Kanengo Police carried out in the city’s suburbs following tip-offs from well-wishers.
Kanengo Police Officer In-Charge (OC), Assistant Commissioner Isaac Maluwa, identified the Malawian criminals as Labson Kandodo, 27, of Zalimu Village, T/A Nsamala in Balaka district, Noel Phiri, 27, from Malasa Village, T/A Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota and 30-year-old Damson Mtambo from Tsikulamowa Village, T/A Phambala in Ntcheu district.
The other three are 25-year-old Samuel Banda of Sikaponda Village T/A Kayembe in Dowa, Lloyd Phiri, 25, Phweremwe Village, T/A Nazombe in Phalombe and Lameki Biziwick, 24 of Disi Village, T/A Kuntumanji in Zomba district.
The officer-in-charge said the seven suspects were flushed out from their hiding places in the city where police also recovered goods worth over K10million.
The seven, police said, are part of a gang of over 20 which carried out a series of robberies in the surrounding areas between December 2013 and January 2014.
“A lot of armed robberies were reported in Areas 25, 49 and Kanengo Industrial site where, apart from losing property, the victims were severely injured by the robbers,” he said.
The arrested suspects have reportedly confessed to have been behind the robberies committed in the areas between December and January and further disclosed that they were 18 in total.
The criminals seemed to have targeted churches including residences of their leaders.
According to police, among those raided included Dzenza CCAP Mission where the robbers raided the reverend’s residence and also raped his maid. They also committed the robbery at Mvama CCAP in Area 49.
The criminals again hit the house of Rev. Beston Kenneth Aaron, Director of Beston College, where they went away with assorted valuable household items and his vehicle, a 4X4 Nissan Mistral, reg. No. MJ 6692.
Petroda Filling Station of Area 51 (along Kaunda Road) was also a victim of the armed robberies.
Most of the items stolen, police said, have been recovered except for Rev Beston’s car, which the suspects disclosed was already sold in Mozambique.
Among the recovered electrical devices include digital cameras, video cameras, laptops, flat computer monitors, plasma TV screens, public address system box-speakers, DVD players, generator sets, amplifiers, radios and sub-woofers.
Non-electrical items include motor vehicle tires, chairs, mattresses, beddings, clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, bags of cement and children’s prams.
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