Four men have been arrested at Chambwe Trading Centre in Lilongwe for tampering with and illegally rerouting electricity infrastructure worth an estimated K1.1 million.

The arrests were made after community members and the local police forum alerted authorities when the suspects allegedly uprooted and relocated an ESCOM pole, installed a suspected stolen 9-metre pole, and extended a medium-voltage power line without authorisation.

ESCOM chief public relations and communications officer, Pilirani Phiri, condemned the act, saying vandalism of power infrastructure disrupts efforts to supply reliable electricity to customers. He commended the community for its vigilance, describing residents as “the eyes and ears” of the power utility.

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