Africa-Press – Malawi. The Ntcheu Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 30-year-old Brave Phiri to pay a fine of K10 million or spend three years in prison after he was found guilty of possessing 124 kilograms of cannabis without a license.
According to Ntcheu Police spokesperson Jacob Khembo, the court — through State Prosecutor Inspector James Ngupa Muyira — heard that Phiri was arrested at Sharpvalle checkpoint after police found bags of cannabis weighing 124.26 kilograms hidden in his Nissan X-Trail vehicle (registration number BT14135).
Khembo said Phiri pleaded guilty to the charge, and the prosecution urged the court to impose a stiff sentence, arguing that drug-related offences endanger people’s lives and contribute to rising criminal activity.
The conviction came barely a day after the same court fined two other men for a similar offence involving bags of cannabis.
In his plea for leniency, Phiri asked the court to consider his family responsibilities, saying he was the sole breadwinner.
However, presiding magistrate Imran Alley Abu sided with the prosecution, stressing that such crimes fuel social problems and must be deterred. He therefore ordered Phiri to pay K10 million or face three years behind bars.
Phiri, who hails from Talasa Village under Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba District, had not yet paid the fine by the time of reporting.
The sentence sends a strong message against the illegal possession and trafficking of cannabis — a trade that continues to thrive despite ongoing government efforts to regulate the industry.
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