Malawi Police Service has let off the hook six Mexicans and their Nigerian host arrested at Kamuzu International Airport on May 3 2025 for alleged links to drug dealing.
The six were given police bail last week Wednesday evening and their whereabouts are unknown while the Nigerian, Mike Chukwu, 54, was released by an order issued by High Court of Malawi Judge Mzonde Mvula who stated that his arrest was illegal.
In an interview yesterday, National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said investigations were ongoing around the seven individuals.
“I can confirm that the Mexicans were all released on bail. But based on the information they gave us, we continue with our investigation,” he said.
The six Mexicans were identified as Panfilo Hernandez, 27, Adrian Angulo, 30, Armando Hernadez, 32, Mario Picas, 32, Luiz Armando Ramirez, 44 and Cristhian Jovvany Hernandez, 30.
Chukwu’s lawyer, Jefferson Luwa, in an interview yesterday said his client was released by order of the High Court because he was being detained unlawfully.
He said: “For Mr Chukwu, we made an application to have him released from unlawful detention. The court found that his detention was unlawful as it breached provisions of Section 42 (2) (b) of the Constitution.”
The court’s release order, dated May 7 2025, shows that Chukwu was released on condition that he pays K500 000 cash bond, two sureties of non-cash bond valued at K5 million each, and that he surrenders his passport.
On the six Mexicans, Luwa said police are better-placed to state what they did on the matter.
Officials at police, immigration and Ministry of Homeland Security could not tell the whereabouts of the six.
The arrest of the six was a joint operation between Malawi Police and United States of America agents.
