Malawi

“Creating a safe and secure Malawi”

Values:

• Independence and professionalism;
• Impartiality;
• Openness and accountability;
• Responsiveness and dependability;
• Quality in service provision;
• Efficient and effective use of available resources.

Headed by the State President of the Republic of Malawi, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security.   This Ministry is also responsible for Prison Services and Immigration.   The MPS is commanded by an Inspector General who is assisted by a Deputy Inspector General.   The MPS Headquarters are run by two Commissioners, in charge of administration and operations respectively.

Operational responsibilities:

• Prosecution;
• Service Traffic and Transport;
• Criminal Investigation;
• Community Policing;
• Airport Security;
• Radio Communication;
• Explosives;
• Police Mobile Service;
• Firearms and Ballistics;
• Air Wing;
• Marine Corp;
• Police band.

The 31 districts of Malawi are divided into four policing regions, to enable MPS to effectively execute its objectives of ensuring peace and security for Malawi’s population of 14,000,000.

INTERPOL Lilongwe

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Malawi sits structurally in the MPS Criminal Investigation Department (CID), thus giving it privileged access to key CID units, which include:

• Fiscal Fraud Section;
• Dangerous Drug Section;
• Criminal Records Section;
• Canine Section;
• Motor Vehicle Theft Unit;
• Forensic Science Services;
• Firearm Registry;
• Homicide Investigation Section.

Staffing:

• Seven police officers;
• In general, staff are recruited directly from the CID or from national police stations;
• INTERPOL and in-service training is provided prior to NCB appointment.

Objectives:

• To provide investigative support to local and foreign investigators in tackling national and transnational crimes;
• To serve as a platform permitting local investigators and law enforcement agencies to :
   - pursue their investigations abroad;
   - access INTERPOL’s criminal databases;
   - access critical information on latest developments and trends in cross-border crime;
• Coordination of local, regional and international police operations, training sessions and workshops aimed at fighting crime;
• Population of INTERPOL databases;
• Capacity building and boosting INTERPOL awareness at national level.

Crime priorities

• Violent crime;
• Illegal firearm trafficking and related cases;
• Trafficking in human beings;
• Illegal immigration;
• Economic and commercial crime:
• Motor vehicle theft;
• Terrorism;
• Drug trafficking;
• Cybercrime.