By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Police in Malawi have launched a manhunt for nine suspects who escaped from custody after they were arrested for using a hearse disguised as part of a funeral procession to smuggling charcoal.
Acting on an intelligence report, forestry officials intercepted the vehicle at a roadblock near the main city of Blantyre.
An empty coffin placed over several bags of charcoal was discovered, with an estimated value of $1,700, a report by Reuters news agency says.
A manager from the funeral service however claimed that the hearse driver was returning from seeing a bereaved family when he bought the bags of charcoal that were later confiscated.
The smuggling of charcoal, which is in high demand for cooking is very common in Malawi.
William Mitembe, a forestry official, told local media that the operation last weekend was the “most complex illegal charcoal trafficking case in the country’s history”.
About 30 bags of charcoal concealed underneath an empty coffin were seized during a routine roadblock in Chikwawa district, about 40 km (25 miles) south of Blantyre, another forestry official, Hector Nkawihe, told Reuters.
The manager of the affected funeral home had a different version of events. Patrick Dimba told BBC that a hearse driver had been sent to a family with two coffins in order for them to select one.
According to him, it was on his way back with the remaining empty coffin that the driver bought 11 bags of charcoal.
According to Dimba, there were no other passengers in the hearse when it was stopped at the checkpoint.
A police spokesman however told Reuters that nine suspects remain at large and have not yet been charged.
Nkawihe said the suspects were briefly detained, but later escaped custody leaving behind the impounded hearse.
“They face two charges of illegal possession of forestry products and transportation of the same,” he added.
If found guilty, the suspects could face up to five years in prison or a fine.
The illegal charcoal trade is rampant in Malawi and is seen as a major driver of deforestation. Most Malawians rely on it for cooking due to unreliable power supply.
Last month, Malawi’s energy regulator hiked petrol and diesel prices by more than 40%, marking the second time fuel costs gone up in four months.
President Peter Mutharika, who returned to power last year, has been trying to revive Malawi’s ailing economy.
