Police net 14, recover macadamia nuts

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 week after Weekend Nation wrote about rampant theft of macadamia nuts at Sable Farming in Chiradzulu, police have arrested 14 people suspected to have stolen  1 287 kilogrammes of the nuts worth K13 million.

Chiradzulu Police Station spokesperson Cosmas Kagulo on Thursday said they have been receiving reports that people around Yasin and Thomas trading centres have been stealing the nuts.

“Following the reports, police organised the raid leading to the arrests of the suspects whose ages range between 20 and 60. They will soon be taken to a court of law to answer the charges levelled against them,” he said.

Kagulo disclosed that 11 suspects are from Traditional Authority (T/A) Likoswe while the other three are from T/A Mpama in the district.

The January 27 issue of Weekend Nation reported of massive theft of macadamia nuts at Sable Farming which employs thousands of people, mostly from surrounding areas.

Estate manager Lasten Lanjesi reported that people around the area, and sometimes a whole village, invade the macadamia nuts farm and threaten guards.

He also complained of inaction by the police when those caught stealing the nuts are sent them.

The company’s general manager, Kamran Mohsin, expressed sadness that some people even go to the extent of cutting down macadamia trees for firewood, a situation he described as a setback considering that it takes years for the trees to start producing.

Apart from theft of macadamia nuts, Mohsin also complained about land

encroachment, particularly along a dam within the farm which he said might explode and cause catastrophe to human life.