Police in Dedza have arrested two people for possessing 190 National identity cards believed to have been stolen from Dedza National Registration Bureau (NRB) office.

The suspects are identified as Adam Sikwese ,42 , an NRB data clerk at Dedza, and Group Village Headman (GVH) Kakhome, real name Lotam Saidi ,43.

Their arrest follows a complaint by Samuel Ndende, one of the Afordable Input Programme (AIP) beneficiaries from Chafumbwa village in Dedza West. It is reported that Ndende in January 2022, went to Dedza NRB office, and asked for replacement of his lost National identity card.

Fortunately, a day later after reporting the issue to NRB, his lost ID was found within Chafumbwa Trading Centre.

However, on Thursday, February 24, 2022, he took his identity card and went to Chafumbwa Small Holder depot to buy fertilizer.

As he was on queue waiting for his turn to buy the commodity, Ndende heard the seller calling out someone bearing similar identity card name.

Ndende protested and the other person was caught. Upon quizzing him, he revealed that he bought the newly replaced identity card, from GVH Kakhome who has links with someone from Dedza NRB office.

Police at Chafumbwa immediately arrested Kakhome. Upon searching him, he was found in possession of 90 identity cards ready for sale.

He later revealed that it is the NRB employee Sikwese who brought him the identity cards. He also explained that he was expecting Sikwese to bring him another bunch of ID’s.

The suspect was brought to Dedza Boma where he liased with Sikwese about the other bunch of ID’s.

Unknowingly that his accomplice was in the hands of Police, Sikwese told Kakhome to meet at Dedza Golf Club, and that time was in possession of 100 National identity cards.

Sikwese was arrested on the spot by officers from Chafumbwa Police Unit.

It is alleged that GVH Kakhome, was selling identity cards at Fourteen thousand kwacha (MK14,000).