By Grace Alinafe Makawa:
Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito has said Malawi will not surrender to organised crime, as government moves to develop a national strategy aimed at strengthening the fight against transnational criminal activities.
Speaking during a multi-stakeholder consultative workshop on the development of Malawi’s National Strategy to Prevent and Counter Transnational Organised Crime, Mukhito said the country needed a coordinated approach to address the problem of criminal networks that were operating across its borders.
“Protecting citizens remains paramount,” Mukhito said, adding that no single nation could successfully fight organised crime without cooperation from other countries.
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The strategy comes amid concerns over Malawi’s vulnerability to cross-border criminal networks, with the Global Organised Crime Index identifying the country primarily as a transit point for illicit goods and people.
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Criminal networks reportedly exploit porous borders to facilitate activities such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, smuggling of migrants and wildlife-related crimes.
According to official figures from the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security, Malawi registered 41,000 transnational crimes in 2025, down from 42,800 cases recorded in 2024.
Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga said the Malawi Police Service was strengthening its capacity to respond to emerging criminal threats through specialised training, particularly in cybercrime investigations.
“We are working tirelessly to improve skills of our officers and capabilities to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated criminal networks,” Luhanga said.
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Malawi has also been strengthening regional security cooperation through bilateral arrangements, including signing an anti-human trafficking memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia and cross-border intelligence-sharing initiatives with Mozambique and Tanzania.
The development of the national strategy is being supported by the Southern African Development Community Secretariat, which is promoting coordinated regional efforts against transnational organised crime.
Malawi is the sixth country in the region to develop such a strategy, which is expected to provide a framework for strengthening institutional coordination, improving law enforcement responses and enhancing cooperation with neighbouring countries.
