13-07-2024 – The Kapiri Mposhi Magistrate Court on 11th July, 2024 convicted and sentenced a 34-year-old Tanzanian Truck Driver, Rahadahn Ayoub to a fine of K 80,000 or in default three years simple imprisonment for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. He was handed over to the Kapiri Mposhi Immigration Office by Police who on 30th June, 2024 apprehended him at Nkumbi Checkpoint driving a Scania tanker truck Tanzanian registration numbers of T711 DMV and T214 DNA carrying six undocumented Ethiopians. The Police discovered the four Ethiopians on a bed inside the truck while the other two Ethiopians were only discovered on 1st July, 2024 by a team of Police and Immigration Officers. They were hidden near the Truck’s Valve Box. Meanwhile the three Zambians apprehended in connection with the offence along with the six Ethiopians remain detained pending further investigations and possible prosecution.
The Kapiri Mposhi Court outcome brought the number of convictions secured by the Department of Immigration between 10th and 11th July, 2024 to 15.
Further, the Department of Immigration has in the last three days received 94 Zambians removed from neighbouring countries for abrogating laws of those countries. Eighty-six, among them 59 males and 27 females aged between 15 and 46 were received between 10th and 12th July, 2024 by Officers at Katima Mulilo Border Control. They were removed from Namibia’s Katima Mulilo Town by that country’s Authorities for illegal entry and unlawful stay in an ongoing clean-up operation. Investigations have revealed that the majority were residents of Shang’ombo, Sioma and Senanga and that they went to Namibia to works as Cattle Herders and Maids. Some of the Zambians claimed to have been reported to Authorities by their employers as a way of avoiding to pay them their dues for the work done. The other eight Zambians were received on 11th July, 2024 by Officers at Kariba Border Control after they were removed by the Zimbabwean Authorities for straying into Zimbabwean waters and for illegal fishing.
Furthermore, the Department of Immigration at Kasumbalesa Border Control on 11th July, 2024 apprehended 20 suspected illegal immigrants in a routine clean-up operation conducted around the border area. Those apprehended were 19 Congolese and one Ugandan. They are all detained pending prosecution. The Kasumbalesa operation brought the number of persons apprehended by the Department of Immigration for various immigration offences countrywide between 10th and 11th July, 2024 to 61.
In addition, the Department of Immigration between 10th and 11th July, 2024 removed 32 illegal immigrants from the country and refused four foreign national entry for failing to meet Immigration requirements.
The Department has noted with concern increasing incidents of Zambians being removed or deported for abrogating laws of neighbouring countries. We urge Zambians intending to migrate to other countries to follow the legal channels, including acquisition of the necessary travel documents and immigration permits to avoid arrest, prosecution, removal and deportation.
