Malawi Police Service officers intercepted a major arms smuggling attempt on September 27, arresting two Mozambican nationals at the Kamuzu Bridge roadblock in Chikwawa, according to a statement by National Police spokesperson Gladys Chiwaula reported by Nyasa Times. The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Julio Aromado and 30-year-old Steven George, were caught trying to bypass the security checkpoint. Officers recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, two pistols, a Heckler and Koch firearm, a pound hammer, a panga knife, and a horseman's pick. Police used the incident to remind the public that an amnesty period for voluntarily surrendering illegal firearms remains active.
In a separate incident, Dedza Police have opened a murder investigation after a 38-year-old man was killed by a mob on September 27, according to Capital FM and Nation Online. Deputy Public Relations Officer Sergeant Brenda Yassin confirmed that Precious Kadzamira was assaulted by villagers after allegedly being caught stealing Irish potatoes at the Mtendere Parish Sisters' plantation. Kadzamira was taken to Mtendere Mission Hospital where a post-mortem established he died from a severe head injury, Yassin stated.
To combat urban crime, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has proposed installing AI-powered surveillance cameras across Blantyre, iAfrica reports. MACRA director-general Mayamiko Nkoloma stated that the Smart City Surveillance Initiative would operate in collaboration with the Malawi Police Service and the Road Traffic Directorate to strengthen crime prevention. Meanwhile, The Nation reports that UK-based Malawian lawyer Peter Makossah has issued a public warning that individuals sharing unverified rumors on social media face criminal prosecution under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act. Makossah noted that both MACRA and the police have recently sharpened their digital enforcement tools to track down offenders.
Update: Former Inspector General of Police Merlyne Yolamu appeared before the parliamentary ad-hoc committee investigating the June 2024 plane crash, according to Nyasa Times. Testifying about the police's handling of the tragedy that killed former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others, Yolamu defended the force's response. She explained to Members of Parliament that the police mission shifted from a search operation to a recovery effort only after regional commanders confirmed the discovery of the wreckage, noting that her actions were guided entirely by the intelligence available at the time.