Malawi Freedom Network 
By MFN News Desk Team
A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted of stealing a tipper truck valued at K300 million from a quarry in Mzimba.
The convict, identified as Ephraim Jere, was sentenced by the Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Mzimba following a case in which he was accused of stealing the heavy-duty vehicle while working as its operator.
According to Northern Region Police Publicist Cecelia Mfune, the incident occurred on September 25, 2025, at Mapanjira Quarry in Mzimba, where Jere was employed as an operator.
Mfune said Jere stole the tipper truck, registration number NU 12134, after allegedly disconnecting its GPS tracking system.
The removal of the tracking device enabled the vehicle to be moved without its location being monitored, before it was eventually taken out of Malawi and sold in Mozambique.
Police investigations subsequently led to Jere’s arrest on February 24, 2026.
Following his arrest and further investigations, the stolen truck was recovered and repatriated to Malawi on March 2, 2026, bringing the vehicle back into the country after it had been taken across the border.
Five witnesses testify
When the matter came before the Mzimba Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court, Jere denied the charge.
The State, however, presented five witnesses who testified in support of the prosecution’s case.
According to police, the evidence presented in court proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, resulting in Jere’s conviction.
During mitigation, Jere asked the court to consider leniency, telling the court that he was a first offender and a breadwinner. He also informed the court that he suffers from ulcers.
Despite his plea, the court handed him an 11-year custodial sentence with hard labour.
Police have described the case as a significant recovery of a valuable piece of equipment, particularly given that the vehicle had been transported outside Malawi and sold in another country before authorities recovered it.
Jere hails from Phoseka Village, Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba.
The case also highlights the potential risks faced by businesses operating expensive machinery, particularly where employees entrusted with vehicles and equipment have access to tracking and operational systems.
The recovery of the K300 million truck followed several months of investigation after its disappearance from Mapanjira Quarry, eventually leading authorities to Jere and the repatriation of the vehicle from Mozambique.
The conviction and sentence bring the criminal proceedings against Jere to a conclusion, with the court imposing 11 years imprisonment with hard labour for the theft.
