Malawi: Police in Karonga District have arrested a Congolese national, aged 32 for financial fraud. The suspect has been identified as Christine Manana and she was found in possession of more than US$23,000 in suspected counterfeit notes.
The suspect also had an additional US$14,070 in undocumented foreign currency when she was arrested at Songwe Border Post.
The Spokesperson for Karonga Police Station, Margret Msiska has confirmed that the incident occurred on June 23, 2025 around 11:00 AM. The suspect, Manana, was returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from Malawi using the Songwe Border.
The woman was leaving the country with the counterfeit and illegal currency to utilize in her own country illegally. The officials have confirmed that they regularly conduct checks on persons leaving the country to weed out similar criminals.
Police officers from the Fiscal and Fraud Section performed a routine search on the suspect as she was leaving the country. They then discovered that she had US$23,000 which was suspected to be counterfeit currency and another US$14,070.
She did not have any supporting documents from a licensed financial institution or forex bureau for this amount Msiska confirmed that after the discovery, the suspect was immediately taken into custody and the money in her possession was seized.
The Karonga District authorities will send the counterfeit currency to the Reserve Bank of Malawi for forensic analysis. Meanwhile investigations will continue to trace the origin of the fake notes and undocumented cash.
Manana is a resident of the Sudi Village in Kivu District of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will be presented to the court for her crimes. The date for the court hearing has not been confirmed meanwhile, the suspect is charged with possessing counterfeit currency, illegal possession of foreign currency and attempting to externalise foreign currency without authorization.
The suspect is currently in custody within Malawi and will be kept in custody till further investigation in the matter is completed.