Nearly 2,000 stolen water fittings and components of Blantyre Water Board (BWB) meters have been recovered from a 40-foot container packed with scrap metal and destined for India.
The 40-foot container was destined for export to India and was intercepted while being loaded by a scrap metal dealer in Limbe. Among the scraps were BWB meters and various water network fittings packed in sacks and concealed within the consignment.
According to BWB, close to 2,000 water fittings and identified numerous components of its postpaid and prepaid water meters that had been crushed and reduced to scrap metal were recovered.
The discovery, according to BWB, provides further evidence of the extent to which valuable public water infrastructure is being destroyed for illegal commercial gain.
BWB has commended the Malawi Police Service, for their vigilance and continued partnership in protecting public infrastructure.
“The Board also applauds the growing collaboration among security teams from BWB, Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) and ESCOM in sharing intelligence and coordinating efforts to combat vandalism” reads on its page.
The Board has urged scrap metal dealers, transporters, exporters and members of the public to exercise due diligence and refrain from trading in stolen public infrastructure.
