Police in Nkhotakota have recovered 974 bales of Illovo Sugar and K21, 573, 000.00 in cash, worth 1,500 bales (30 tones), which were stolen, allegedly by a driver at Simama properties.

Nkhunga police Public Relations Officer Andrew Kamanga says the suspect, a Simama properties’ driver identified as Victor Masamba, is still at large and efforts have been intensified to arrest him.

According to Kamanga, on the night of the 22nd last month, police received a tip-off that a truck was seen offloading sugar at Chimwemwe Superette at Kande trading centre in Nkhatabay district.

Following this, a follow-up was made leading to the arrest of Maxwell Banda, a well established businessman at Dwangwa trading centre commonly known as Chimwemwe, and some of the stolen sugar plus cash worth 526 bales were recovered.

It is further reported that the suspected buyer bought the whole 30 tones of sugar worth K40 million from the driver and kept it in his warehouse at Kande in Nkhatabay.