The Malawi Police Service (MPs) in Lilongwe have arrested a Chinese national and two Malawians for shooting videos of various people, processing and sending them to China for unknown purpose.
Lilongwe Police Station publicist, Hastings Chigalu, has identified the suspects as Cheng Ling Hua, 50, Blessings Makhaza and Medson Phiri, both 24.
According to Chigalu the whole episode came to light on Friday when angry residents at Kaphiri location bayed for the blood of the two Malawian suspects after they were caught taking videos of people without their consent.
When residents confronted them, the suspects told them that the videos were being taken for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Lilongwe Police detectives rushed to the scene and took into custody Makhaza and Phiri for interrogation.
Police also proceeded to Cheng Ling Hua’s house for his arrest after the two Malawian suspects named him to be the one behind the project.
Police learnt that the Chinese national sends the boys on such errands to collect videos, which are later processed before sending them to China.
However, they were all tight lipped to disclose about the end product, and the main purpose of sending the videos to China.
The development, according to Chigalu, forced Lilongwe Police detectives to raid Cheng Ling Hua’s house in Area 3, on Friday, where five computers and multiple cellphones that are believed to have been used in committing cyber-crimes, were seized.
Meanwhile, Chigalu has said investigations are continuing and that the seized electrical gadgets will undergo a proper analysis to establish what they were being used for.
