Stolen vehicle retrieved, suspects on the run in Lilongwe

By Michael Martin//MALAWI

Police in Kanengo, Lilongwe have successfully recovered a motor vehicle that was stolen during a burglary incident that occurred on the night of 27 December 2025 in Area 49.

The recovered vehicle is a Toyota Ractis bearing registration number BZ 14320, which was taken by unknown suspects from a private residence.

Kanengo Police Station public relations officer, Sub Inspector Gresham Ngwira, confirmed the recovery and provided details surrounding the incident.

Ngwira explained that the vehicle belongs to Miss Modestor Kanyenda who was not at home at the time as she had gone out for work-related duties.

Ngwira said the house had been left under the care of her maid, who was in the company of a friend visiting for the Christmas holiday period.

He said: “The incident happened in the early hours of the morning, around 02:00 hours, when the visitor heard unusual sounds coming from the yard.

“On checking through a window, the visitor noticed a group of unknown individuals moving around within the premises.

“Before any alarm could be raised, the suspects forced entry into the house, prompting the maid and her visitor to hide to avoid confrontation.”

He added that the criminals proceeded to ransack the house, stealing several valuable items during the operation.

He said among the stolen property were a 45-inch LG plasma television, a JVC sound bar, and a laptop bag containing a Lenovo ThinkPad computer.

“The suspects also took personal documents, including academic certificates, along with other household items,” said Ngwira.

In addition, he said that the criminals managed to steal the car keys, which they later used to drive away with the Toyota Ractis.

Following the report, a rapid response team, working alongside Criminal Investigation Department officers who were already on patrol, rushed to the scene.

Police used the vehicle’s GPS tracking system, which showed that the car had passed through the Senti area where it is believed some suspects dropped off with stolen items.

The chase continued up to the Kamuzu Institute for Sports, where police fired a warning shot in an attempt to stop the fleeing vehicle.

The driver panicked, lost control of the car and abandoned it in a nearby maize field.

The suspect then fled on foot and jumped into a residential area with brick fenced houses, managing to evade arrest.

Police officers conducted a search in the area but were unable to apprehend the suspect at that time.

The recovered vehicle has since been secured by police while investigations continue to identify and arrest all suspects involved.

Kanengo Police have assured the public of their continued commitment to fighting crime and have urged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious activities to authorities.