Zambian Police Enter Malawi to Recover Stolen Cattle

A dramatic cross-border operation saw Zambian police storm into Malawi last week, hunting down a gang accused of rustling 20 cattle from a farmer's kraal -- in a heist that left the victim counting devastating losses worth 116,500 Zambian Kwacha. The animals vanished without a trace from Kabwanda Village in Chief Tembwe, Chama district, sometime between the night of 30 August and the following morning, leaving farmer Julius Nyirenda staring at an empty kraal and a gut-wrenching loss of his entire herd. But Zambian investigators weren't about to let the thieves get away with it. According to Zambia's TV Yatu, detective work quickly pointed the finger at Malawian nationals -- triggering a daring follow-up operation that crossed straight over the border. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines On 16 September, officers from Chama Police Station, led by their Officer in Charge, swept into Kafukule Police Station in Mzimba District, Malawi, where a crucial tip-off finally cracked the case wide open. The raid paid off in spectacular fashion, with police recovering 15 of the stolen cattle and slapping handcuffs on three Malawian suspects: Justin Phiri, 31, Waluza Mumba, 38, and Daniel Mtonga, 31 -- all from Mzimba District. According to police, the trio didn't hold back once caught, confessing to stealing all 20 cattle from across the border before handing them over to a mystery figure known only as "Prince." In a grim twist, the suspects also admitted one of the stolen cows had already met its fate -- slaughtered for a braai, with the carcass reportedly left in Prince's possession. The rest of the herd, meanwhile, had been deliberately scattered across separate kraals in a desperate bid to cover the gang's tracks. But it wasn't enough -- the trail eventually led both Zambian and Malawian police straight to the missing animals. In a small silver lining, one cow had already found its own way home, after Nyirenda personally tracked it down near the Malawi-Zambia border -- bringing the total number of recovered cattle to 16. All three suspects have now been jointly charged and arrested for possession of livestock believed to have been stolen outside Malawi, and are expected to appear before the Magistrate Court. Once the case has been heard, police say arrangements will be made to hand the recovered cattle back to Nyirenda, with officers escorting the herd safely back across the border into Zambia. Police credited the successful recovery to the close working relationship between Zambian and Malawian law enforcement -- along with crucial tip-offs from residents living along the porous border. Read the original article on Nyasa Times . Zambia's Farmers Are Working in Dangerous Heat - How They Can Protect Themselves AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again lat