Police in Mangochi have seized 1,100 litres of illegally possessed liquid petroleum following the arrest of 45-year-old Steven Ajasi, who was found with 520 litres without a permit. Meanwhile, another suspect, who was found with 580 litres of the same product, is still at large.
Reports indicate that on the evening of March 23, 2025, Mangochi Police detectives received a tip-off that an unidentified motor vehicle was transporting jerrycans of petroleum products from Mangochi towards the Chiponde border.
Acting on the information, officers alerted their counterparts at Idrusi Roadblock along Bakili Muluzi Highway, where the suspected vehicle was intercepted.
A search of the vehicle uncovered two drums and seven jerrycans filled with 520 litres of fuel. Ajasi, who was present in the vehicle, failed to produce valid documentation for the fuel and was immediately arrested.
The same day, while the officers were returning to Mangochi Police Station, they came across a Toyota Sienta, registration number DA 2345, parked suspiciously along Chowe Hills. Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered an additional 580 litres of petroleum products stored in 29 jerrycans. However, the owner managed to escape, leaving the fuel behind.
The total seized liquid petroleum products stand at 1,100 litres. The arrested suspect remains in police custody awaiting court proceedings, while investigations are ongoing to apprehend the second suspect.
Police in the district continue to warn the public against the illegal transportation and storage of fuel, emphasizing the serious safety risks and legal consequences associated with such malpractice.
Ajasi hails from Nanyumbu Village, Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga District.
Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi
Public Relations Officer
Mangochi Police Station
Cell:0999-706-525
Email:amina.tepani@police.gov.mw
Website:www.police.gov.mw