SA police apprehends Malawian woman who had 100 ATM cards

The Gauteng Police in South Africa have reportedly arrested a Malawian woman for possessing 100 auto-teller machine (ATM) cards.

The ATM cards belong to different people, a thing that made the police become suspicious, according to the sources in the rainbow nation.

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According to media reports, the suspect is Mphatso M’bang’ombe Chithyola Banda.

“The cards are from National, Standard, First Capital and NBS Banks. Our team in South Africa is verifying the names on the bank cards which are used to externalise forex in Malawi,” read an article on the social media.

However, we could not verify if the suspect is related to Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda.

This is not the first time for a female Malawian to be arrested for possessing multiple ATM cards.

In June 2023, five women were found with 338 ATM cards at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe while they were coming from Dubai and Police suspect that they were using the cards to externalize forex and launder money.

Police spokesperson has told the local media that the police have arrested the five women at the airport.

He said the women were coming from Dubai and were found with 338 ATM cards for various local banks.

It was suspected then that the women used the ATM cards to withdraw money in Dubai thereby externalising forex.

“Police indeed arrested Sellina Mkandawire 39, Fatima Dziko 35, Diness Mphande 66, Hanifa Osman 33 and Angella Mphande 36,” he said.

According to Kalaya, police suspect that the women connived with some banks and Malawians of Asian origin in their scheme.

The women were granted bail by a court in Lilongwe yesterday.