Malawi Police recover three stolen vehicles

Police have recovered three vehicles which were stolen by the same robbers in three separate incidents over the past 10 months.

The Anti-Motor Vehicle Theft Unit in the city have since arrested the five robbers who stole the vehicles.

The robbers include Peter Mphepo (53), Gladson Banda (44), Wilson Chimbalu (44), Lingson Binton (31), and Mishoni Namani (31).

In one incident that was reported on July 23, 2016, McFallen Mbewe (39) who was using a Toyota Dyna registration number KK 1696 was hired at Kanengo rank to collect goods at Mitundu trading centre.

Upon reaching at Mitundu, he was advised to drive beyond the trading centre to pick some boys who would help in loading the goods.

However, along the way he got attacked by four men who emerged from the roadside and later sped off with the vehicle.

The police have recovered the vehicle which the robbers painted green to avoid being traced.

On August 9, 2016, the same bunch of robbers went away with a Toyota Dyna registration number ZA 6867 belonging to Maida Black aged 32.

The robbers stole the car after hiring Black to carry groundnuts from Mangochi to Mitundu. His vehicle has been recovered with a different registration number of MHG 2933.

The third recovered vehicle is a Toyota Dyna registration number KU 891 belonging to Gideon Chamatwa aged 42.

He was hired in Dedza on February 2, 2017.

However on that incident, the driver was told to collect goods at the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) offices along Lilongwe-Mchinji road. Upon reaching at MRA offices, the driver was informed that another vehicle had already collected the goods.

The driver was then instructed to proceed to Mitundu to collect some goods which were to be delivered to a certain village. The driver met a similar fate like the previous victims.

The suspects will appear before the court to answer charges of robbery with violence.

Meanwhile, the Police are appealing to taxi drivers and vehicle owners to take extra caution against suspicious customers to avoid falling under such tricks.