Three arrested for stealing ESCOM cables
Malawi Police in Blantyre have arrested three suspects in connection to the theft of four rolls of Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM) cables, worth over K1 million.
According to Blantyre Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Elizabeth Divala, the three Jester Saukira 40, Gift Austin 20, and James Mpaso 30, were arrested on Saturday following a tip which the police got from a security firm.
“We were tipped by Alpha Security Team who were on patrol and immediately after the tip, we followed the information and managed to arrest the suspects at Makata Township in Ndirande,” she said.
Divala said the police are still investigating the circumstances as to how the three managed to get the cables which were found in a Toyota Venture at the time of arrest.
“The three were using a Toyota Venture registration number BM212. Currently, investigations are underway to establish how the three got the cables as well as to determine the actual value of the cables which could be a million plus,” she said.
The police also found a hacksaw in the vehicle in which the cables were found.
The three will soon appear in court to answer charges of theft.
Jester saukira and Gift Austin hail from Makata Village in Blantyre District while James Mpaso is from Dzungu Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Bvumbwe in Thyolo District.
In January this year, the police also arrested three ESCOME employees for stealing a three phase transformer worth K6 million.
