Several suspected drug lords arrested in Malawi

The Malawian government, in a joint security operation with the US, has arrested seven suspected drug lords with links to a Mexican cartel, the country’s homeland security minister said on Monday.

Six of the suspects were arrested upon arrival at Kamuzu International Airport in the capital Lilongwe after disembarking from an Ethiopian Airlines flight, Homeland Security Minister Ezekiel Ching’oma told Anadolu news agency.

The seventh suspect, a Nigerian national based in Lilongwe, was arrested at the airport while waiting for the other six, Ching’oma said.

Trafficking route

“We have established that these have links to a Mexican drug cartel. But investigations are still underway to get more details. We are very grateful to the US government for this successful security mission,” he added.

Malawi has become an attractive route for drug traffickers, according to the ENACT Africa organized crime index.

The country is particularly known as a corridor for heroin shipments moving from East Africa to South Africa and Eswatini.

However, it is also used as a transit point for other drugs, including cocaine, trafficked from Mozambique to Europe or Asia via air routes, the index notes.