Zambian, 3 Malawians arrested for railway vandalism
Malawi Police in Mchinji have arrested a Zambian and three Malawians for vandalising a railway infrastructure valued at K30 million in the district.
Mchinji Police publicist Kaitano Lubrino identified the Zambian as Geoffrey Mbewe from Vubwi District in Zambia.
He said Mbewe together with three Malawians, namely, Happy Kachala (20), Paul Banda, 28, and Vincent Leonard Kaluza, 19, were arrested on the spot with support from Mapira Village communities.
He said the police assisted by the villagers ambushed the suspects during the night of January, 16 to 17, 2019 following a tip-off from a well-wisher.
“The tip-off came as a result of several awareness meetings the police conducted with members of the communities after registering high cases of vandalism of railway,” Lubrino said.
He further said they found five people removing clips that are used to tighten and secure the railway and that one suspect managed to escape.
“We managed to recover six bags containing the clips from the suspects which they reportedly sell outside the country as scrap metal,” he said.
Lubrino added that a follow up with Zambian Police led to recovery of four sacks containing similar metallic materials from Mbewe’s home in Zambia.
“When a search was made at their respective homes, breaking implements were confiscated. We believe that their arrest is a breakthrough as it will lead to more arrests and recoveries,” he said.
The railway line is important for the two landlocked countries’ economies as it runs from Mozambique’s Nacala Port on the Indian Ocean to Malawi’s Mchinji border line where it connects into Zambia through Chipata.
Kachala hails from Nyamawende Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Nyoka, Kaluza comes from Cheyadi Village, TA Zulu in Mchinji District while Banda is from Benjamin Village, TA Kanduku in Mwanza.
They will appear before court soon to answer charges of malicious damage and theft.
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A whole 28-year old grown up joining 19 and 20 year olds in illicit activity? All the way from Mwanza misled by kids in Mchinji?
Stupid fellow, may he rot in jail!
This is treason case and not stealing. Please prosecute them.
Kudana ndi chitukuko, arrest and give them stiff punishment
What about the chinese who stole the same scrap mentals three time hes scot free in kanengo! Too much corruption.
Please ban this metal scrap business. Telecommunications companies are great victims
Also impose a shoot-to- kill tactics ya Bingu was Muthalika. You see: even here on Lilongwe many bridges were vandalised of the side bars. Street lights poles are brought down just to get tima reinforcements wire timakhala mkati tija. After that we blame government for not lighting our streets. You know what: IT TAKES A BRUTAL ACT TO END A BRUTAL ACT. That’s why they say “send a thief to catch a thief”. Lean from Israel and other Middle Eastern countries Saud Arabia Egypt, UAE, Kuwait. Or even East African countries like Tanzania, you can’t do that rubbish. I praise… Read more »