Barely a week after police in Mangochi arrested a pharmacist at Chiponde Health Centre for stealing assorted government medical drugs from his office, officers in the same district over the weekend apprehended Tupac Justin, 47, for possessing government medical drugs and accessories without proper documentation.
Mangochi Police Station Public Relations Officer Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi said on Saturday, around 2 a.m., a team of night patrol officers mounted a snap roadblock at Namiyasi along the Mangochi-Monkey Bay Road. During the operation, they intercepted a Toyota Hiace minibus, registration number MC10637, traveling from Mangochi to Lilongwe with passengers on board.
Upon searching the vehicle, the officers found six cartons of Cremora milk. However, upon further inspection, they discovered that the cartons contained assorted medical drugs and accessories without proper documentation.
The drugs included 2,000 capsules of Amoxicillin, 8 bottles of blood glucose test strips, 20 gauze rolls, 100 syringes with needles, 179 boxes of latex gloves, 20 rolls of bandages, and 1 roll of plaster.
When questioned, the driver revealed that he had been sent by the suspect to deliver the cartons to an undisclosed person in Lilongwe. The driver then led the police to the suspect’s house in the township, where 70 bottles of Ketamine injectable fluid were also found.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to owning the drugs, leading to his arrest. Police seized the government property.
The suspect, who is not a medical practitioner, remains reluctant to reveal the source of the medical accessories.
He will appear in court to answer charges of possession of medical drugs without a license after the completion of paperwork.
Meanwhile, police in Mangochi are urging transporters to verify the goods they carry with their clients before transporting or delivering them to the destination. They advise against transporting illegal items, noting that such practices are fueling criminal activities in the district.
Tupac hails from Billy Village, Traditional Authority Bwananyambi, in Mangochi.
