Two people have been arrested in Mulanje for being found with pangolin, a protected animal which is trafficked for its scales.
Mulanje Police publicist Gresham Ngwira has identified the two as Luka Bwanali, 31 and Daniel Juwalo, 25.
Ngwira said they got a tip on Sunday from well-wishers that the two were in possession of a pangolin at Limbuli Trading Centre in Muloza in the district.
Police officers and officials from the Department of National Parks posed as potential buyers and arrested the two suspects in the process and the live pangolin was also rescued.
The suspects will answer charges of found in possession of specimen of listed species and dealing in government trophy.
The suspects Luka Bwanali and Daniel Juwalo hail from Takhiwa village in the area of Traditional Authority Njema in Mulanje district.
Pangolins are protected species under local and international laws. The animals are considered endangered as they are heavily trafficked for their scales. An estimated 195,000 pangolins were trafficked in 2019 for their scales alone, according to Challender, et.al (2020).
