By Thomas Ngala
A COMBINED team of immigration and police officers in Mpika, Muchinga Province, have apprehended two Tanzanians for allegedly helping seven undocumented Ethiopians to enter Zambia illegally.
Department of Immigration chief public relations officer Namati Nshinka said in a statement yesterday the suspects were apprehended on Saturday, around 07:00 hours at the Mwaiseni checkpoint in Isoka District, Muchinga Province.
Nshinka identified the two suspects as Rashid Ricco, 23, a truck driver, and Mohammedi Abdulwahid Hasani, 21, his turn boy.
He said the suspects were found transporting the seven Ethiopians who were hidden under an improvised chassis compartment of the sulphur-laden trailer of a Sino truck (horse registration number T653 EFS and trailer registration number T653 EFS).
“The Ethiopian nationals, aged between 20 and 23, were allegedly being smuggled into the country. Preliminary investigations suggest that the Ethiopian nationals were attempting to travel to Kapiri Mposhi with the view to continuing their journey to South Africa, while the truck was en route to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.
“The truck, believed to belong to Imperial Investments Limited, a company based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been impounded. The suspects are currently detained at Isoka Police Station pending formal arrest. The Department of Immigration intends to charge the Tanzanian nationals with aiding and abetting, while the Ethiopians will be charged with illegal entry.”
Nshinka said in a separate operation, the Department of Immigration in Lusaka apprehended 30 suspected illegal immigrants during raids on three casinos in the late hours of Saturday and early hours of Sunday.
He said the targeted casinos, Golden Galaxy, Monte Carlo and Gen Long, were raided as part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal immigration.
“The 30 individuals apprehended included 11 Chinese nationals, eight Indian nationals, eight Cambodian nationals, one Filipino, one Kazakhstan national, and one Sri Lankan. Among those apprehended, one Chinese national, Wang Gang, and one Cambodian national, Koay Somaly, were detained after they were found to be in violation of immigration laws,” Nshinka said.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Wang Gang’s employment permit had expired, while Koay Somaly’s application for an employment permit had been rejected. The remaining 28 individuals, who hold various valid immigration permits, were requested to report to Immigration Headquarters for further immigration formalities.”
