Police in Lilongwe have arrested 18-year-old Aubrey Chidothi on suspicion of stealing mobile phones from unsuspecting people within the precincts of the police station.
Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Hastings Chigalu, has confirmed the arrest and said the suspect often posed as a passenger on motorcycle taxis, requesting to be dropped off at the police station. Upon arrival, he would borrow the rider’s phone under the pretext of briefly entering the station, only to slip out through another exit and disappear.
Chigalu further said Chidothi is also suspected of borrowing phones from people visiting relatives in custody, pretending that he could assist them secure bail for their loved ones, before vanishing with the devices.
The teenager has previously served a prison sentence earlier this