'Set out to terrorise the city': Six jailed for Chichiri Mall robbery attempt

Six men have been sentenced to prison with hard labour after being convicted of attempted robbery, following a failed and violent armed heist at Chichiri Shopping Mall back in 2023.

Ringleader Brian Banda was handed the harshest sentence of 21 years behind bars, while his accomplices — Richard Mzinga, Petro Kambadi, Martin Phiri, Oliver Maseko and Peterson Ranken — were each sentenced to 13 years, with the sentences set to run concurrently from the date of their arrest.

The dramatic case stems from a botched attempt to rob a cash-in-transit vehicle transporting money for a bank at the busy Chichiri Shopping Mall, an operation that quickly descended into chaos when police intervened, sparking a tense shoot-out with the armed gang.

Several of the suspects were left injured during the exchange of gunfire, requiring urgent treatment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital before eventually being taken into police custody.

Delivering his ruling at the Chief Resident Magistrate's Court in Blantyre, Chief Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha sided firmly with the State's submissions, branding the offence a serious threat to public safety.

He did not hold back in condemning the men's actions, insisting the gang had deliberately set out to terrorise the city and deserved to face stiff, uncompromising punishment for their brazen attempt at armed robbery.

The case has drawn renewed attention to the dangers posed by cash-in-transit heists in Malawi's commercial hub, with courts increasingly handing down lengthy sentences in a bid to deter similar attacks in future.