Police in Karonga have arrested four Malawians on suspicion that they helped 62 Ethiopians to enter the country illegally.

The arrest follows the interception of the group on Monday night.

"The police received a tip from members of the community indicating that they had seen a Scania lorry carrying people with some strange faces," said Karonga police spokesperson Enock Livasoni.

"The police followed up the tip and found the vehicle registration number KA 5476 loaded with the 62 who had no travelling documents with them.

The police arrested the group and the four Malawians who were helping them."

He identified the four Malawians as Allan Kaponda, 30, Charles Msowoya, 40, Mukumbwa Gondwe, 31, and Davie Kaonga, 30.

Livasoni said the four have been charged with aiding entry of people into the country without documents.

The Ethiopians have been charged with illegally entering the country.

The Malawi police service has been urging Malawians to report to them the presence of illegal entrants in the country, saying a number of them are a security threat.

President Banda has also been saying this at a number of her political rallies threatening to deal with all those involved.

Cases of illegal entry receded following the drowning of some 49 Ethiopian illegal entrants in Karonga in June with such cases only appearing sporadically and mainly in Chitipa where they were arrested on the way to Nyika national park.

A police officer was suspected of involvement in trafficking of one such group.

"We thank members of the general public for giving us information that has led to the arrest of a number of illegal immigrants into the country. The information they have been providing has helped us a lot and we urge them to continue," Livasoni added.