By SIMON MUNTEMBA
SEVENTY-ONE illegal immigrants have been apprehended and detained in police custody by officers from the Department of Immigration in Nakonde and Monze Districts.
According to the department public relations officer, Namati Nshinka, the Nakonde Immigration Office on January 19 apprehended 39 Ethiopian nationals for illegal entry.
Mr Nshinka also announced that the Monze Immigration Office on January 18 apprehended 32 foreign nationals aged between 16 and 47 years and Edward Banda, 44, a Zambian driver, in a suspected case of human smuggling.
He said that responding to a report about the presence of suspected illegal immigrants in Mikuwa Village of Nakonde District by the residents of that village, the Immigration Officers with Police presence found a weak-looking suspected Ethiopian national at the Village Headman’s house believed to have been abandoned by the group because he was unable to walk unaided.
Mr Nshinka said investigations later revealed that community members had heard sounds of a motor vehicle making several trips around 04:00 hours.
He said tyre marks left by the vehicle and a two kilometer-long footpath created by the footsteps of a seemingly large group of people, led the officers to three houses in Musanza Village of the same District which was about 20 kilometers from Nakonde Border Control.
“The 38 Ethiopians were found in the main house, bringing the total to 39 with the one who was apprehended earlier in Mikuwa Village,” he said.
Mr Nshinka said all the 39 Ethiopian nationals were detained at Nakonde Police Station pending further formalities.
Similarly, he said, the Monze Immigration Office on January 18 apprehended 32 foreign nationals aged between 16 and 47 years and Edward Banda, 44, a Zambian driver, in a suspected case of human smuggling.
Mr Nshinka said the foreign nationals comprising 21 male Somalis, one female Somali, nine male Bangladeshi nationals, and one male Ethiopian were intercepted by Immigration Officers at Chisekesi checkpoint aboard a Livingstone-bound Mitsubishi Rosa Bus Registration BAK 2985 driven by Edward Banda.
He said the nine Ethiopians and six Somalis had passports but all without entry endorsement stamps while the rest only had National Registration Cards.
Mr Nshinka said preliminary investigations had revealed that the driver of the Rosa Bus after dispatching his customers at Kafue was approached and engaged by an unnamed Zambian man to pick up and transport some people up to Livingstone. However, he said, the unnamed Zambian managed to flee the scene. The suspects are currently detained at Monze Correctional Facility pending further formalities.
Meanwhile, Mr Nshinka said the Chinsali Regional Immigration Office on January 19 secured the conviction of a 25 year old Somali national for failure to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer on entry.
He said the suspect was sentenced to pay a fine of K 20,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment.
