Malawi: Police in Lilongwe have arrested three women for allegedly orchestrating a burglary in Area 36. The arrest was made on Monday May 19, 2025 after the police was able to identify the suspects.
Lilongwe Police Public Relations Officer, Hastings Chigalu revealed the identity of the suspects as Chimwemwe Chembe, Elizabeth Mkwezalamba, and Memory Elias. The suspects allegedly hired three criminals to help them in stealing household items.
The items which the suspects stole from the house in Area 36 include a deep freezer, an upright fridge, a mattress, bedding, and a microwave. The incident happened when the members of the family living in the home were out of the city.
Chigalu explained that the first suspect, Chimwemwe, was living in the house. The original owner of the house had moved to Blantyre for work, and had left some belongings locked in a separate room.
“Three days before the burglary, the first suspect Chimwemwe approached the second suspect Elizabeth. At this point the two planned to break into the room which was locked and steal a microwave.
“However, at the last moment Chimwemwe went ahead with the robbery on her own. She broke into the room without telling Elizabeth and sold the microwave for K30,000.”
After the second suspect realised that she had been left out of the scheme, Elizabeth allegedly decided to organize a larger burglary without Chimwemwe’s involvement. She then approached the third suspect, Memory Elias, asked her to help get some criminals for the job and to store the stolen items temporarily.
She said that Elizabeth’s husband would not approve of keeping them in their home.
“Memory agreed to this plan and recruited three men to carry out the burglary. The officials including her own son,” Chigalu added.
On the day of the robbery, at 17:00 hours, Elizabeth reportedly brought the helpers to the house under the pretence inspecting the targeted items. The same night, at around midnight, the suspects returned and robbed the home in question.
The arrest of the three women was made on Thursday following a tip-off from well-wishers. Meanwhile, the three male accomplices remain at large and are currently being pursued by police.