Police in Sector 7 of Lilongwe’s Area 25 Township today exchanged live fire with criminals who had stolen over K2 million from a Zomba-based accountant working for the Zomba-Neno Rehabilitation Development Programme.
According to National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo the Police managed to shoot dead the two thugs in the course of exchanging fire, as the law-enforcers were in danger of being killed themselves.
Manjolo said the criminals travelled all the way from Lilongwe to Blantyre and robbed Getrude Rehema Mgaye, of John Manaya Village, in Traditional Authority Mkanda, in Mulanje District, when she was waiting for the car she was travelling in to be fixed at Kwik Fit.
”These criminals staged a day-light robbery in Blantyre after traveling from Lilongwe the same day. During the course of stealing, they were using a Toyota Corrolla vehicle, registration BP 8922, and they were also heavily armed. Apparently, the complainant had withdrawn money from the bank and she was being trailed.
“When she later lodged her complaint at Blantyre Police, we started our investigations and through intelligence, it was discovered that the thieves had travelled afar and ended up in Area 25 in Lilongwe,” said Majolo.
She said when the criminals noticed that their house had been surrounded by police officers, one started firing and the officers had no option but to use similar force, leading to the police killing the two on the spot.
“When the officers searched one of the vehicles that was at the scene, a Honda saloon registration number NE 2584, which the robbers were now using in in Lilongwe, they discovered an AK 47 rifle, with 20 rounds of ammunition, and a pistol, with seven live rounds of ammunition,” explained Manjolo.
Apart from recovering the Honda saloon vehicle, the officers also recovered two other vehicles: a Toyota Carina, registration number BR 1704, and a Toyota Hiace mini bus, registration number 7154. The number plate on the car used in the robbery in Blantyre was also found in the Honda saloon car.
“We are thankful to the public for giving us vital information, which led to the swift cornering of these habitual criminals and we appeal to all Malawians to continue providing us with reliable information with which to make Malawi a tough place for criminals to operate in. Our officers will continue using necessary force because most of the times their lives are endangered when confronting armed criminals,” said Manjolo.
