Lilongwe Police recover construction materials, impound vehicle, suspects on the run

Police in the Capital City have on Thursday night, September 28, 2023 recovered K3 million worth of scaffolding materials (Katawala), belonging to Dai Nippon & Kanoike Construction Company which is constructing the New Lilongwe Bridge.

The police have also impounded the vehicle that was used in the theft.

According to Lilongwe Police Spokesperson Inspector Hestings Chigalu on the said night, five Garda World security guards identified as Martin Banda, Paul Gomani, Blessings Tebulo, Blessings Banda and Blessings Mataya, reported for a night shift at the New Lilongwe Bridge construction site.

Then unknown number of criminals who connived with the said security guards, arrived on a Toyota Nadia motor vehicle registration number CZ 3640, entered inside the fence, and started loading the materials.

Chigalu narrates that when a certain project manager abruptly appeared, all the five security guards, and the other criminals fled the scene leaving behind the vehicle that had loaded 64 pieces of the scaffolding materials.

“Luckily enough, police officers who were manning an ad-hoc roadblock within the vicinity were called in to intervene.

“Lilongwe Police Station has intensified investigations to trace and arrest the five Garda World security guards and all the culprits involved in the syndicate”. Said Chigalu.

He said for the past few days, officers mounting an ad-hoc roadblock at Lilongwe Bridge had successfully recovered an engine pump that was also stolen at the same construction site, and also recovered a pistol with two ammunition and arrested its owner.

Meanwhile, Lilongwe Police says they have intensified security in both urban and rural strategic places by conducting day and night patrols, mounting of ad-hoc roadblocks, among others.