By Suleman Chitera

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has deployed seven drones along the country’s borders as part of a major operation aimed at combating smuggling and boosting revenue collection.

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MRA Taxpayer Education Manager, Wadza Otomani, confirmed the development in an interview with Zodiak on Tuesday, saying the authority has been losing millions of kwacha due to rampant smuggling activities taking place in various border districts.

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According to Otomani, the drones are now being used to monitor border operations from the air, enabling authorities to track and intercept smugglers more effectively.

“Smuggling is a serious challenge especially in Dedza, Mchinji and part of Mzimba, so we procured these drones with funding from the World Bank to deal with that,” said Otomani.

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He explained that the use of drones represents a new technological approach in strengthening border surveillance and reducing illegal trade which has been negatively affecting government revenue collection.

The MRA says border districts such as Dedza, Mchinji and parts of Mzimba have become major smuggling routes, forcing the authority to adopt modern systems to tighten security and improve monitoring.

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Otomani further revealed that the authority has been given a revenue collection target of K6 trillion for the current financial year, adding that the drone initiative is expected to help recover huge amounts of money previously lost through illegal smuggling activities.

The deployment of the drones is also expected to improve efficiency among border officials and enhance rapid response operations against illegal traders operating in remote areas.

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The move signals a major shift in Malawi’s efforts to modernize revenue collection and strengthen the fight against cross-border crimes through advanced technology.