Nine Get Suspended Sentences for Illegal Gold Mining in Kasungu

The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Kasungu District has handed a two-year suspended sentence to nine men convicted of engaging in illegal gold mining at Chimbiya Village under Traditional Authority Chitanthamapiri.

The suspects were arrested last week during a crackdown led by the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), which involved the closure of illegal mining sites and the detention of individuals operating without licences.

In his ruling, Chief Resident Magistrate Brian Nsambo said the suspended sentence was granted because it was the offenders’ first conviction. He warned them against repeating the offence within the next two years.

All nine convicts are men, with seven from Kasungu, one from Lilongwe, and one from Mulanje.

Meanwhile, security forces have intensified operations targeting illegal mining under “Operation Samala M’godi,” a government initiative by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining aimed at curbing unlawful mining activities.