Nigerian arrested in drug syndicate raid
Detectives from Lingadzi Police Sub-station in Lilongwe have arrested Nigerian national Julan Ihuoms, who lives in Area 47, Lilongwe, for being found with what are suspected to be dangerous drugs.
Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Kingsley Dandaula, said Ihuoms was arrested in a raid on Sunday.
“The Nigerian is in police custody. The suspected substance has been seized and it will be taken to the Pharmacies, Medicines and Poisons Board for examination,” Dandaula said Sunday.
He said community members should be actively involved in efforts aimed at dealing with drug syndicates by reporting them to police.
During the raid, police also arrested a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo for living in Malawi illegally.
Two weeks ago, Area 47 residents warned police to either flash out foreign nationals or risk a community backlash.
The death of 26-year-old Riad Randera in Brazil last month opened a can of worms on trade in illicit drugs and revelations have emerged that Area 47 is a hub of such trade.
Health Rights Initiative Executive Director, Charles Nyirenda, recently warned that Malawi risks becoming a dangerous drug-dealing country if drug syndicates in Lilongwe’s suburbs are not dealt with.
“If we do not do something, one day we will see soldiers and police officers getting engaged in running battles with drug dealers in the streets as is the case in countries such as Mexico and Venezuela,” Nyirenda said.
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