21 Ethiopians ‘unearthed’ from tanker
By a Correspondent
OVER 21 undocumented migrants have been arrested after they were found stashed in two fuel tankers in Nakonde District enroute to Lusaka on Tuesday.
The incident occurred during a routine checkpoint on the Nakonde–Mpika road, mounted by a combined team of Zambia Police Service, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and officers from the Department of Immigration.
Muchinga Province commissioner of police Dennis Moola said the 21 undocumented prohibited immigrants had since been detained.
“They were found around 13:00 hours when a joint operation involving the Drug Enforcement Commission, Zambia Police and the Department of Immigration intercepted two Tanzanian-registered Scania trucks belonging to World Oil Limited in Ilendela, a village located about eight Kilometres north of Nakonde CBD,” Moola said.
He said the trucks with registration numbers T94BUH/T692BUK and HT150BLX/T603BMK were from Dar es Salaam transporting fuel to Zambia.
“A fuel tanker is divided into separate sealed sections known as compartments, which allow different quantities of fuel to be carried and distributed safely. In this case, some compartments contained fuel while others had not been loaded with fuel and were instead used to conceal the immigrants,” he said.
One tanker was found with 10 individuals, while the other had 11 bringing the total number to 21.
Moola said all illegal immigrants were all Ethiopians aged between 18 and 35.
The two drivers, identified as Philibert Faustine, 54, and Alikeja, 56, both from Dar es Salaam, were apprehended and detained together with the illegal immigrants they were transporting at Nakonde Police Station.
“The vehicles have since been impounded. The Department of Immigration has taken over the matter and investigations are ongoing,” Moola said.
