The Department of Immigration in Mpika has nabbed the Central provincial administration driver for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants.
Department of Immigration public relations officer Namati Nshinka said the Mpika Immigration Office apprehended Clement Chilufya, aged 29 a driver under the Central Provincial Administration for aiding and abetting illegal Immigrants.
Mr Nshinka said, Chilufya was apprehended on Saturday March 4, 2023 at the Mpika Checkpoint after initially escaping from an Immigration Officer who had connected him to a Burundian national whom he had just apprehended at Puma Filling Station in Mpika.
He said upon realising that the officer was onto him, Mr Chilufya sped-off in a Toyota Hilux Registration Number ALM 9872 belonging to the Central Provincial Administration.
Mr Nshinka said the action by Mr Chilufya prompted the Immigration officer to alert the Officers at the Mpika Police Checkpoint who intercepted him and found six undocumented Burundians, bringing the number to seven.
He said Chilufya together with the seven Burundians are currently detained at Mpika Police Station pending prosecution.
Meanwhile Mr Nshinka said, the Kabwe regional Immigration office has charged three Zambians Richard Chansa aged 32 of Ndola, Gideon Banda aged 45 and Montiy Bwalya aged 34 of Kapiri Mposhi for the offence of aiding and abetting the movement of illegal immigrants contrary to Section 46(1) (a) of the Immigration and Deportation Act No.18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
He said three were intercepted on March 1, 2023 near Lwanshimba Checkpoint aboard a Lusaka-bound mini-bus and on board were 18 Congolese adults, one Cameroonian adult and three Congolese Children.
Mr Nshinka said the have been charged with the offence of aiding and abetting while the 19 foreign adults will be charged with the offence of unlawful stay.
He said the department in Mpika office March 3, 2023 secured the conviction of the 35-year-old Tanzanian Chovo Benno Benjamin for aiding and abetting the movement of two Ethiopian illegal immigrants.
Mr Nshinka said Mr Chovo was sentenced to two years simple imprisonment without the option of a fine.
He also said the Lusaka Regional Immigration office on March 4, 2023 removed 76 illegal immigrants from the country and Immigration Headquarters on March 3, 2023 removed 19 Ethiopian suspected victims of trafficking from the country.
Mr Nshinka said these were 46 Burundians, 27 Tanzanians, two Rwandese and one Kenyan.
