According to Mangochi Police Spokesperson, Inspector Roderick Maida, on the wee hours of Friday, the five suspected criminals attempted to rob one of the food processing companies in the district, Mother’s Food Company.

Inspector Maida, said police officers were already alerted about the move by some members of the general public and were following them.

“The five robbers who were armed with air gun, panga knives and heavy metal bars stormed the place, attacked two watchmen before breaking into a house of the owner which is behind the company premises, but stole nothing,” said Maida.

He said the robbers then went on and broke the factory where police invaded them before accomplishing their mission.

Maida said sensing danger, the robbers tried to run away from the scene and in the process one suspect identified as Samuel Jeffrey charged towards a police officer and hit him with a metal bar on the right side before he was shot dead.

He said Ousman Kalinga, 50 from Mpindo village in the area of Traditional Authority Mulumbe in Zomba and James Misoya, 47 from Misomali Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chikumbu in Mulanje were arrested and are in their custody while other two escaped.

Police also managed to recover a motor vehicle, Toyota Corolla Registration Number BN 9692 and assorted breaking implements that were used in the operation, according to Maida.