The criminals, armed with an AK47 assault rifle and travelling in a minibus registered BT 7120, opened fire at the Chinese national compound near Easy Park Plastics company around 17: 00 hours in order to a commit a criminal act.

“Luckily officers from Police mobile Service B Division who were assigned to carry out duties within the area were alerted by the gun shots by the criminals. Tactfully, the officers charged and advanced to the compound. But when the criminals saw the two officers they charged towards the officers and started firing at the officers,” Ramsy Mushani, South Police publicist said.

“In exchange of fire, the officers shot back and in the course one criminal was shot to death and later identified as Abel Felix, aged 38 from Mchinji, but residing in Machinjiri Area 10 township in Blantyre.”

The other four criminals escaped from the scene and have launched a man-hunt.

Mushani said upon intensive search in the getaway minibus, Police found four face masks, a Mozambican national ID and three mobile phones.