LILONGWE – Police in Lilongwe have arrested two men after recovering 670 bags of suspected counterfeit NPK fertiliser bearing the Export Trading Group (ETG) logo during an intelligence-led operation targeting the illegal manufacture and distribution of fake agricultural inputs.
The suspects, identified as 33-year-old Matius Bonongwe and 26-year-old Timothy Matias, were arrested on Thursday following an operation conducted by detectives from Kanengo Police.Lilongwe Police nab 3 Taxi thugs over K6 million theft
Kanengo Police Public Relations Officer Macfarlen Mseteka said officers initially raided a warehouse in Kanengo belonging to Bonongwe, where they recovered the suspected counterfeit fertiliser.
According to Mseteka, Bonongwe allegedly informed investigators that he had purchased the fertiliser from Matias, leading detectives to arrest the second suspect and recover all 670 bags linked to the case.Limpopo FM alleges theft of dogs was targeting Mutharika’s life
The two suspects have claimed that they sourced the fertiliser from neighbouring Mozambique.
Police have since seized the fertiliser, which will undergo laboratory analysis by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to establish whether it meets the required standards and confirm its authenticity.
The arrest comes as authorities intensify efforts to combat the circulation of counterfeit farm inputs, which pose a serious threat to agricultural productivity, undermine legitimate businesses, and expose farmers to financial losses through the purchase of substandard products.
Police have urged farmers and agro-dealers to buy fertiliser only from authorised suppliers and to report any suspicious agricultural inputs to law enforcement agencies.
