Forestry officers in Chikwawa have intercepted a hearse loaded with illegal charcoal disguised as a funeral procession in what authorities describe as the most complex charcoal trafficking scheme recorded in the country.
The vehicle was stopped over the weekend at Thabwa Roadblock after concerned citizens tipped the District Forestry Office for Chikwawa about a suspicious convoy posing as mourners.
Deputy Director of Forestry for Zone South, William Mitembe, said the hearse had travelled to Ngabu where charcoal was loaded into the vehicle and concealed beneath funeral materials.
“The vehicle is a hearse. It travelled to Ngabu, where charcoal was loaded into the vehicle. The charcoal was wrapped with the green carpet used during funerals at the burial site, and on top sat the coffin,” he said.
Mitembe said individuals accompanied the vehicle, singing as if attending a burial ceremony to avoid raising suspicion at checkpoints.
“There were people singing like a funeral procession which never was. This is how complex illegal charcoal is,” he said.
Upon inspection, officers opened the coffin and found it empty. After removing the green funeral carpet, they discovered loose charcoal filling the hearse.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the number of suspects involved. Investigations are continuing.
