Police in Lilongwe have warned members of the public, businesses, and institutions to remain vigilant against fraudsters following the arrest of two men suspected of using forged cheques and fake council documents to swindle government suppliers out of millions of kwacha.

Spokesperson Hastings Chigalu confirmed the arrest of Reuben Nzandu, 42, and Joseph Phiri, 50, who allegedly posed as officials from Ntcheu District Council and Thyolo District Council on Monday to fraudulently obtain stationery worth approximately K48 million from Central Government Stores.

According to police, the suspects reportedly used forged National Bank of Malawi cheques and counterfeit procurement documents to facilitate the transaction before authorities intercepted the scheme and recovered all the stationery in Lilongwe.

Investigations have also uncovered additional fake documents allegedly linked to another planned fraudulent transaction involving Phalombe District Council.