At least nine people are on the run after they were caught smuggling charcoal in a hearse, disguised as a funeral procession, Malawi police and forestry officials confirmed on Monday.
Charcoal smuggling is widespread in the southern African nation and a major contributor to deforestation, but authorities said the use of a hearse in this manner was unprecedented.
Forestry officers, acting on a tip, intercepted the “funeral” procession at a roadblock in Chikwawa, about 40 km (25 miles) south of Blantyre, the country’s commercial hub. Inside the hearse, officers discovered an empty casket with approximately 30 large bags of charcoal hidden underneath, valued at 3 million Malawian kwacha ($1,747), said Chikwawa district forestry officer Hector Nkawihe.
The suspects were briefly detained but managed to escape custody, leaving the hearse behind. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison or hefty fines, Nkawihe said.
“They face two charges of illegal possession of forestry products and transportation of the same,” he added. A police spokesman confirmed the incident and said the suspects remain at large.
Most Malawians rely on charcoal for cooking, particularly due to frequent electricity blackouts, making such smuggling schemes common but increasingly creative, officials noted.
($1 = 1,717.0200 kwacha)
