By Shaffie A Mtambo
The Lilongwe Magistrates Court has convicted four Zambians for smuggling 250 kilograms of live crayfish into Malawi without proper authorization. The accused were arrested on May 16 and intended to sell the crayfish illegally.
According to the Department of Fisheries, one of the accused admitted to supplying a Chinese buyer in Lilongwe and revealed it was his second transaction. When they appeared in court, all four pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court sentenced each of the convicts to a fine of K50,000 or 6 months in prison for possessing illegal aquatic animals, and K150,000 or 12 months for possessing alien species.
The charge of evading duty was dismissed, as the State could not collect fees on an illegal item.
The Department of Fisheries has been working to prevent the smuggling of aquatic animals into the country, and this conviction serves as a warning to those who engage in such activities.
