An Angolan man was on Thursday arrested by Police at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) for attempting to smuggle cocaine through the airport.
Police caught the 44-year-old Angolan at around mid-day when they confiscated his luggage containing cocaine which was concealed in male condoms that were hidden in body lotion bottles.
In an interview with Malawi24, KIA police spokesperson Sapulain Chitonde Lee identified the man as Joao Matateu Manuel from Angola who uses passport number N0545644 and was going to Kenya through Kenyan Airways.
Chitonde told Malawi24 that the suspect’s luggage went through the terminal’s main x-ray Machine and officers working at the searching point offloaded his bags after the machine detected the suspected drug.
“The owner was called to identify the bags and they were opened. He was asked what the contents of the bags were before officials opened them, he claimed to have carried bottles of body lotions and nothing else,” said Chitonde.
When the bags were opened it was discovered that they contained 69 bottles of body lotion of different types. In the bottles, there were condoms which contained the drugs.
The suspect is in police custody and will answer charges of illegal exportation of dangerous drugs and being found in possession of the same contrary to Section 11 as read with Regulation 19 of Dangerous Drugs Act.
The suspect has claimed that he does not speak English but police will continue investigations on the issue.
Airport Police Branch have since assured Malawians that law enforcers will continue being watchful to foil any attempts to use the airports for illegal activities.
