Police Nab Driver Who Used Coffin to Conceal Charcoal in Chikwawa

Police in Chikwawa have arrested a hearse driver, Leonard Kalonga, 59, from Chibwana Village under Traditional Authority Mpama in Chiradzulu District, for allegedly smuggling charcoal.

According to Chikwawa Police public relations officer Dickson Matemba, Kalonga was intercepted while transporting charcoal from Ngabu to Blantyre under the pretense of conducting a funeral.

Police discovered that the coffin in the hearse did not contain a dead body as expected.

Instead, the suspect had reportedly placed the coffin on top of bags of charcoal to avoid detection at security checkpoints.

Matemba said officers ordered him to offload the charcoal at the Forestry office and report back to the police station, but he failed to comply, leading to his arrest.

The suspect is expected to appear in court soon to answer charges of transporting forest produce without a permit.