By Wendy Mkandawire
Following a series of murder cases and Motorcycle robberies,Lilongwe Police has seized 30 motorcycle taxis (kabanza) during a midnight enforcement operation conducted over the weekend as part of exercise to reduce cases of robberies.
In an interview, Lilongwe police public relations officer Hastings Chigalu, explained that enforcement exercise follows due to an alarming increase in incidents where motorcycle taxi operators are being murdered by criminals who pretend to be genuine passengers before being robbed of their motorcycles
Chigalu emphasized that the seizing of motorcycles had no intention to punish the operators but to protect them from ill-minded people who have consistently masqueraded as normal customers but with evil motives at night to rob them.
He revealed that motorcycle robberies have escalated in Lilongwe over the past months, with several unidentified bodies of motorcycle taxi operators currently lying at Kamuzu Central Hospital Mortuary.
To enhance safety, Chigalu said police have introduced new restrictions requiring all motorcycle taxi operators to stop operations by 8:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe Police have appealed to the general public to help identify missing motorcycle taxi operators.
The station emphasized that enforcement operations will continue and any motorcycles found operating beyond the restricted time will be seized.
