The Malawian government, in collaboration with the US, arrested seven drug lords with ties to a Mexican cartel at Lilongwe's airport. Investigations are ongoing. Malawi has become a key route for drug trafficking, particularly heroin and cocaine.

The Malawian government, in collaboration with the US, has arrested seven individuals suspected of being drug lords with ties to a Mexican cartel, according to the country’s Homeland Security Minister on Monday. Six of the suspects were apprehended at Kamuzu International Airport in the capital city of Lilongwe after they disembarked from an Ethiopian Airlines flight, Homeland Security Minister Ezekiel Ching’oma told Anadolu news agency.

The seventh suspect, a Nigerian national living in Lilongwe, was arrested at the airport while waiting for the other six, Ching’oma added.

“We have established that these individuals are connected to a Mexican drug cartel, but investigations are still ongoing to gather more details. We are deeply grateful to the US government for their support in making this security operation a success,” he said.

Malawi has become a key route for drug traffickers, according to the ENACT Africa organized crime index. The country is particularly known as a transit point for heroin shipments traveling from East Africa to South Africa and Eswatini. Additionally, it serves as a conduit for other drugs, including cocaine, which is trafficked from Mozambique to Europe or Asia through air routes, as highlighted by the index.