696 arrested, drugs,vehicles recovered
Police have arrested 696 people and recovered assorted stolen items, including motor vehicles and medical drugs in a joint operation to fight transnational crimes in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya in an interview yesterday said Malawi joined other Sadc countries in carrying out Operation Kutwa to fight transnational crimes such as trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, motor vehicle theft, smuggling and possession of counterfeit products as well as robberies, poaching and trafficking of wildlife and their trophies.
The three-day operation carried out from Wednesday nationwide led to the arrest of 696 people, he said.
“In the operation, other suspects who were on the police radar and have been on the run for committing crimes such as robberies, housebreaking, rape, human trafficking and digital piracy were also cornered and arrested,” said Kalaya.
The operation also led to recovery of two motor vehicles, medical drugs suspected to have been stolen from government hospitals, counterfeit goods, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) cables and water board meters and motorcycles. The police also impounded bags of cannabis, petroleum products and other items.
Said Kalaya: “Two vehicles, a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hilux double cabin stolen from South Africa are among property worth millions of kwacha recovered in the three-day special intelligence-led operation conducted by the Malawi Police.”
He said medical drugs, suspected to be from public hospitals, were recovered almost in every district.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe was not available for comment.
But Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe expressed worry over continued theft of drugs in government hospitals, saying the habit contributes to drug stock outs in hospitals which puts lives of people at risk.
“It is unfortunate that patients are told to go and buy drugs in private pharmacies, the poor are unable to afford and most of them go home without accessing medicine and their lives are put in danger, others are stealing the same drugs,” he said.
Jobe called on Ministry of Health to put in place mechanisms that will help curb theft of medicines in public hospitals.
He also asked the Judiciary to give custodial sentences to those found guilty of stealing government medical drugs saying such people are killing Malawians.
Malawi’s borders are said to be porous, thereby contributing to cases of transnational crimes, including trafficking in persons.
