MRA intercepts 109 bags of Chamba at Lirangwe Roadblock

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has intercepted 109 bags of Chamba en-route to Blantyre at its Lirangwe Roadblock.

The Authority’s Flexible Anti-Smuggling Team (FAST) intercepted the Chamba, scientifically known as cannabis sativa, on Sunday evening 3rd January, 2016 between 18:00 hours and 19:00 hours.

The seizure of the illegal drug, also known as Indian Hemp, followed a tip-off from a minibus driver who alerted FAST officers that a Leyland van, registration number ZA 1580, was transporting Chamba possibly from Nkhotakota.

Accounts from FAST officers indicate that when the van approached the roadblock, they asked the driver what he was transporting but he said the vehicle was empty.

However, when he was pressed further he told the officers that he was carrying bags of charcoal but he could not open the van because the keys were in another vehicle.

At this time, traffic was building up at the roadblock and motorists were becoming impatient with the delays.

The driver of the van was then instructed to park the vehicle on the roadside just after the roadblock to reduce congestion at the roadblock.

Surprisingly, an unidentified saloon was then parked in front of the van but it sped away after the FAST officers asked the driver why it had stopped there.

When the officers went back to the van, the driver had ran away with insurance and Certificate of Fitness (COF) discs from the windscreen.

Upon opening the van’s rear rolling door, the officers found 109 bags of Chamba stacked inside.

The owner of the van, who is alleged to be a Patrick Mlenga, on Monday 4th January, 2016, is reported to have gone to the Police to alert them that his van had been stolen as his driver could not be contacted on his mobile phone.

In an interview, the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Steven Kapoloma, said MRA had handed over the van and the 109 bags of Chamba to Chileka Police Station for their necessary action.

“This is part of our mandate because apart from collecting tax, it is also our responsibility to protect the general public from hazardous goods and products which may enter the country through our borders,” Kapoloma said.