Police in Mzimba have busted an illegal fuel trading syndicate and impounded 600 litres of fuel that was being stored in various warehouses.
Mzimba Police Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Maria Banda, confirmed the development in an interview on Wednesday, saying the fuel was confiscated on Tuesday after being found packed in several jerrycans and drums in different places within the Mzimba Boma.
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“There has been erratic fuel supply in Mzimba owing to such illegal dealings by unscrupulous traders. Whenever fuel is supplied in fuel stations, it quickly runs out due to hoarding. As police, we launched investigations which led to this discovery,” said Banda.
She explained that motorists have long complained about persistent fuel shortages despite service stations being stocked.
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“This particular consignment was impounded within Mzimba Boma. We were tipped off by some members of the public that some individuals were keeping fuel in a warehouse.
Our investigators moved in, busted various houses and found eight jerrycans and two drums of fuel, which we estimate to contain 600 litres. Unfortunately, the owners were not present, hence did not make any arrests, but investigations are underway to identify them,” Banda said.
A motorist, Christopher Phiri from Kazomba, commended the police for busting the illegal fuel traders.
“We always blame the government for not ensuring fuel is available, yet it’s not government’s fault, as seen that even though the government ensures fuel is available, some are holding it. So I feel our Police have done a good job of confiscating the fuel. A lot of people buy fuel to resell at higher costs, which affects travellers who have to pay a lot,” said Phiri.
