Police in Nkhotakota have arrested four men for allegedly being found in possession of 26 bags and two travelling bags of Indian hemp.

Nkhotakota Police spokesperson Williams Kaponda said working on a tip, on the night of August 31, they ambushed a house of Felix Maulidi in Mchambwe Village, T/A Mphonde, just few metres away from Lake Malawi.

“Upon search, we found 26 bags of hemp covered with mosquito nets. We instantly arrested Maulidi.

“Upon questioning him, Maulidi said that he was not the owner but January Phiri who came in the night and coaxed him to keep the illicit drug while waiting to ship them to Salima,” he said.

Kaponda said before making a move to arrest January Phiri, two drug traffickers identified as Steven Phiri (30) and Chilizani Mwenda (20) unknowingly passed by the police at the scene.

“We did not use police motor vehicle during the time. When we asked them what was in their bags, one voluntarily revealed that they had carried the dangerous drug.

“We immediately arrested them. The two carried hemp weighing about 100kg in two black travelling bags,” he said.

He said thereafter, the police arrested January Phiri at Nkhotakota trading centre.

All have been charged with a case of found in possession of cannabis sativa, contrary to section 4 (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Regulation and section 19 (1) of the Dangerous Drug Act.

January Phiri (30) hails from Mwasinja Village, T/A Kachindamoto in Dedza while Steven Phiri and Chilizani Mwenda are all from Kabuwa Village, T/A Khonsolo in Mzimba.mana