Police to investigate K42m currency ‘heist’
Malawi Police Service has launched investigations into the discovery of K42 million by the Drug Enforcement Commission in Zambia, it has emerged.
The probe follows the arrest on Saturday of an American and a Russian by the Zambian authorities after finding them with Malawi kwacha banknotes.
In an interview yesterday, National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said a team comprising officers from the Malawi Police Fiscal and Fraud Unit has been set up to investigate the matter.
He said: “Through Interpol, they will liaise with our Zambian counterparts to find out how the money was found with them and if, apart from the kwacha currency, the other forex found is from Malawi and if yes, how it went out.
“We appreciate the good cooperation that we have with our sister law enforcement institutions in the region and the world at large in fighting cross-border crime.”
Zambia Drug Enforcement Commission spokesperson Allan Tamba in a statement released on Saturday said the two men were found with stacks of K20, K50, K100, K200, K500, K1 000, K2 000 and K5000 Malawi banknotes concealed in eight wooden boxes.
He said: “The contraband in question was meant to be flown from Zambia to the United States of America [USA] via a named airline.
“The following was found; Malawian kwacha amounting to K42 184 000 concealed in eight boxes, other notes were concealed in one suitcase and one small bag.”
Besides the Malawi kwacha notes, other currencies found were 102 600 Lesotho loti and 24 300 in coins.
They also found 243 050 Eswatini’s swazi lilangeni and 59 900 in coins, $33 883, 200 British pounds, Turkish lira 820, 6 000 Zimbabwean zig and 30 Bosnia mark. Other items seized included a Toyota Hilux registration BBC 8613, car rental documents, two ipads, two Phones, various documents, an American passport and three Russian passports.
