SandFest phone theft suspects number hits five

The number of suspects arrested in connection with stolen phones at this year’s Sand Music Festival has risen to five, a police statement has revealed.

Mangochi Police say they are keeping in custody Edward Austin, 35, Cidreck Chilembwe, 23, Yusuf Stambuli, 26, Aaron Phiri, 24 and Yamikani Moffat, 25 who are suspected to have been behind a spate of mobile phone thefts during the event.

According to the police report, the five suspects are based in Lilongwe and were using a blue Toyota Corolla.

On Monday, the owner of the rest house they were lodging in reported to police after getting suspicious that the guests did not return to claim their car for days. It was later discovered that the vehicle belonged to the suspects.

Upon searching their room, the police recovered 20 cellphones which included three iPhones, four Samsung, two Redmi, six Tecno and one Huawei smartphones as well as TNM Mpamba phone and two small Itel phones.

Meanwhile, Mangochi Police Station spokesperson Amina Tepani Daudi has advised people who reported their missing phones to visit the police and identify them.

The arrest of the four comes barely after a day when it was reported that police were keeping in custody one alleged thief whose particulars they did not reveal.