The Nkhunga Magistrate’s Court in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota district has sentenced a 35-year-old Aiwel Banda to 4 years imprisonment four being found in possession of fake 2000 Kwacha notes.
Banda, who hails from Mtupi Village Traditional Authority (T/A) Kanyenda, was arrested on December 31 2016 in the district.
The convict, according to Nkhotakota Police spokesperson, Laban Makalani, to the Court that he obtained the forged K2000 banknotes amounting to K80,000 from unidentified men in Lilongwe.
Banda then started spending the money and gave some to one of his close associates, Boyson Chirwa, who in turn gave the money to his farm workers.
The workers realized that they were given fake notes after a trader in the area recognized the notes as counterfeit and refused to sell them his products.
Meanwhile police have intensified efforts to arrest masterminders of the syndicate who are still believed to be in Lilongwe where the first convict obtained the fake notes.
In another development, law enforcers in Chilumba, Karonga district have arrested an 18 year-old man—Mishake Chisale—who is believed to have stolen six heads of cattle at Mulirasambo village in the district.
The stolen cattle belong to Wagota Harawa and Wang’ara Chirambo.
Chisale has since been charged with theft of cattle and will appear before court soon, according to Karonga Police spokesperson Enock Livason.