By Shaffie A Mtambo
Lilongwe Police has arrested 11 men suspected of robbing a 17-year-old Chinese national of an iPhone valued at K3.5 million and K250,000 cash at ZZTH Wealth company in Nathenje after a failed money safe robbery on Apri 25, 2025.
According to Lilongwe Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Hestings Chigalu,the suspects have been identified as Daniel Kudzala, 33, Reuben Kankhuni, 32, Ranken Msakambewa, 38, Steven Mpakati, 57, Emmanuel Smart, 37, James Amadu, 38, Robert Kaiwalika, 32, Davie Kalipinde, 40, Emmanuel Phiri, 32, Esau Phiri, 48, and William Lodistala, 32.
On the said date at around 18:00 hours, a total of 16 criminals while armed with panga knives invaded the said quarry stone compound where they attacked a daughter to the company owner, assaulted and handcuffed her before robbing her the iPhone, and the said cash in the cashier’s office.
The criminals who were using a minibus registration number LA 7229 that belonged to the first suspect, targeted a money safe which they believed had accumulated huge sums of cash after a tip-off from the second suspect who is a mechanic at the company.
However, they failed to succeed in the targeted robbery after a mother to the victim who witnessed the incident from her hiding place, fired several gunshots that scared the criminals to run away.
During interrogation, the suspects revealed that Kankhuni approached, and shared his accomplices information that the company had kept in its money safe huge sums of cash following observations that the company had for a considerable period of time, not taken money for banking despite making enough quarry sales.
It is understood that the first suspect (Daniel Kudzala) organized three criminal syndicates from Areas;Â 23, Mgona and Lilongwe town, and planned to invade the quarry stone company.
It has been revealed that prior to the robbery, the criminals held two preparatory meetings at Lilongwe Teachers College football ground, and a third one at Naere ground before spending a night at Nathenje Trading Centre on the eve of the attack.
The suspects will appear in court soon to answer a case of robbery.
Daniel Kudzala hails from Juma Village, Traditional Authority Chiwalo, James Amadu is from Salima Village, T/A Sitola, both in Machinga, Reuben Kankhuni comes from Chidaya Village, T/A Makwangwala, Ntcheu, Ranken Msakambewa is from Nkhuni Village, T/A Mwansambo, Nkhotakota, Steven Mpakati hails from Muluso Village, T/A Mulumbe, Zomba, Davie Kalipinde comes from Kalungwe Village, T/A Likoswe, Chiradzulu Emmanuel Smart comes from Chipojola Village, T/A Malili, Robert Kaiwalika hails from Kuliyani Village, Emmanuel Phiri is from Chisale Village, Esau Phiri comes from Sibande Village all in T/A Chitukula, William Lodistala hails from Nyozwe Village, T/A Kalolo, all in Lilongwe District.
