Police in Jenda, Mzimba District, have arrested a 33-year-old man for pretending to be a soldier to deceive people and steal their money.
The man, identified as Steve Manda, claimed to work at Moyale Barracks with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF). He reportedly scammed several people, including his girlfriend, Annie Nyanda, an Airtel Money agent. Nyanda reported him to the police after he took 1.3 million Malawian Kwacha from her, claiming the money was needed to fix a broken car in Chikangawa.
Police spokesperson McFarlen Msteka stated that Manda was arrested on January 3, 2025, at Jenda Trading Centre. He was wearing military-style boots to make his fake identity more convincing.
Investigations revealed that Manda, who lives in Mzuzu but is originally from Rumphi District, was part of a group of fraudsters pretending to be police or military officers to extort money.
Manda admitted to tricking women by manipulating their emotions and telling lies to obtain money. He said, “I don’t break into houses. I use technology and make women fall in love with me to steal from them.”
Manda is expected to appear in court soon to face charges under Section 99 of the Penal Code for impersonating a public officer and Section 319(A) for fraud.
