Police in Dowa arrested a Somali national, Abdimalick Bashir, for allegedly producing fake identification documents for individuals from other countries in Malawi.

Dowa Police spokesperson Alice Sitima reported that in August this year, Muhammed Abdisemed from Ethiopia sought to enter the country for business purposes.

Abdisemed asked his acquaintances at a refugee camp in Dzaleka to assist him in obtaining a permit to enter Malawi, which connected him to Bashir.

Sitima stated that the two communicated via WhatsApp until the Ethiopian national sent $250, approximately K438,000 in local currency. Bashir, who is 26 years old, is believed to have sent a fake permit via WhatsApp just seven days later.

However, upon entering the country, the Ethiopian national was apprehended at the Songwe border after presenting the fake document, and Bashir was mentioned in the case but denied any knowledge of it at that time.

After arriving in Dzaleka, Abdisemed reported to the police, and he confessed that this was not his first involvement in such activities.

Bashir is expected to answer charges related to the production of fake documents.