Police have arrested 15 foreign nationals at Makanjira in Mangochi for mining without license.

The suspects were mining in Namizimu Forest, where locals had reported them to the Police, also accusing them of assaulting the locals. The suspects, though not confirmed, are rumored to be from Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Namizimu has been the centre of illegal mining, to the extent that Malawi Defence Force Soldiers were sent to the forest to take charge on such activities. Apparently it is said that the location is rich in gold and corundum.