Three people are in Police custody in Lilongwe for allegedly invading National Police Headquarters to steal a vehicle Toyota Hilux Raider double-cabin through false-pretense.
Central Region Police spokesperson Ramsy Mushani confirmed of the development in an interview and identified the suspects as brothers-Billy Kayima, Lemmie Kayima and Aubrey Kayima.
According to Mushane, on September 25, the three suspects approached Uladi Maloko at his Area 36 house and pretended to be Interpol–Malawi Chapter officials based at Malawi Police Service (MPS) National Headquarters at Area 30, who were tracking a vehicle suspected to be in Maloko’s compound.
“The suspects took [Maloko] to National Police Headquarters, together with the said vehicle, and while there, made [Maloko] wait in the corridor while one of them entered one of the rooms occupied by Interpol. He later came back and took [Maloko] to where the vehicle was parked.
“He [Maloko] wrote down his full details and instructed him to go back, upon giving him their [the suspects’] phone contacts and advised him to report again at National Police Headquarters the following day with the vehicle documents which were said to have been kept by a relation who, on that day, was not around,” Mushane is quoted as saying.
Mushane said after Maloko had left the police premises, the three suspects drove in the alleged ‘hot’ car, themselves, to an unknown destination.
After sensing danger, Maloko tried to call one of the numbers on the documents given to him but none was available.
Maloko then reported the matter to Lilongwe Police Anti-Motor Vehicle Theft Unit who launched a manhunt leading to the arrest of three on October 9 in Sector 3 of Area 25 Township in Lilongwe.
The Police also managed to recover the vehicle.
The Kayima brothers come from Mzumazi Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mtema in Lilongwe District.
The suspects will soon appear in court, charged with the offence of theft and impersonating a police officer, contrary to sections 278 and 99 (b) of the Penal Code.
