Police in Mchinji on Saturday intercepted 100 bags of UREA and 23:21:0 fertilizer meant to be smuggled to the neighbouring Zambia.
According to Mchinji police station public relations officer, Moses Kajawa Nyirenda said the fertilizer was found at a certain house at point zero within the border area of Malawi and Zambia.
“We received a call from one of the community members around the area who tipped us that he saw some bags of fertilizer being offloaded and they were suspicious that the fertilizer was going to Zambia,” Nyirenda said.
He added that immediately after receiving that tip police rushed to the scene but found no one in the house.
Mchinji Police Officer in Charge, Lexa Chalera: Police action
The intercepted fertiliser
“We waited at the place for some hours but nobody came. After sometime, we saw a three tonner vehicle approaching the house from Zambian territory, but when they spotted our land cruiser the car turned and never came back.“This raised suspicions and made us take a search warrant and break the house to recover the fertilizer,” he said.
Nyirenda said nobody has come forward to claim the bags, saying they suspect that the owner might be one of the businessmen in Zambia who operates the trade illegally.
“We believe they sell the fertilizer to shops in Zambia. This type of fertilizer is not meant to be exported as there are also companies in Zambia manufacturing the same fertilizer,” he explained.
Police say illegal export of goods without license or permit is violation of Section 3 (1) of the Constitution of Malawi.