21-08-2024 – The Petauke Immigration Office on 19th August, 2024 apprehended eight Cameroonians for concealing their true national identity. The group comprising four males and four females aged between 25 and 37 was nabbed off a Lusaka-Bound Public Service Bus at Kabele Checkpoint along Great East Road after alert Immigration Officers discovered that they had been masquerading as Malawians when in fact they were Cameroonians. All of them had Malawian Temporary Travel Documents. Preliminary investigation indicates that had been trying to transit through Zambia to Zimbabwe and that an unknown person believed to be a Malawian Resident assisted them to acquire the Malawian Travel Documents. They are detained at Petauke Correctional Facility pending prosecution.
Further, the Mpika Immigration Office on 19th August, 2024 detained ten undocumented Ethiopians aged between 13 and 25 who were apprehended on 17th August, 2024 in Kaole Village by Police. The Police had been trailing the black Toyota Alphard registration number BAZ 500 carrying the Ethiopians until it suddenly stopped and was abandoned by the Driver and another unknown person after realizing that they were being trailed. The undocumented Ethiopians remained in the vehicle. They are detained at Mpika Correctional Facility pending prosecution.
Furthermore, the Mwami Immigration Office on 17th August, 2024 detained nine undocumented Ethiopians aged between 22 and 27 for illegal entry. Four were nabbed on the same day by the Mwami Immigration Office in Nsola Village near Mwami Hospital while five were apprehended by Police along the Vubwi Road. The Officers were alerted to the presence of the undocumented Ethiopians in the Area by concerned Residents who had earlier been sensitized on illegal migration by the District Joint Operations Committee. The suspects are detained at Namuseche Correction pending prosecution.
In addition, the Lusaka Regional Immigration Office on 19th and 20th August, 2024 apprehended 51 suspected illegal immigrants of different nationalities in two separate routine clean-up operation which covered Lusaka’s Garden, Chilulu, Chaisa, Kalingalinga, Mtendere, Kamanga and Kaunda Square Areas. The suspects are detained pending screening and possible prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration has detained a 45-year-old Zambian male of Kanyama in connection with the case of aiding and abetting the 27 undocumented Ethiopian nationals who were nabbed in Palabana’s State Lodge Area on 13th August, 2024 by the Area’s Neighbourhood Watch comprising Police Officers and members of the Community after a Quantum Hiace they had been travelling in overturned due to a tyre burst. The Ethiopians initially nabbed were 26 with the 27th only apprehended later. The Police nabbed the Zambian on 16th August, 2024 after investigations revealed that he had accompanied the suspected mastermind to hire the Quantum Hiace Bus. He was handed-over to Immigration on 17th August, 2024. Meanwhile, the suspected mastermind remains at large.
In another development, the Kasempa Immigration Office on 16th August, 2024 detained ten Tanzanian illegal miners. The ten were among 25 persons, including 15 Zambians nabbed by Police at Shindomona Gold Mine in Dengwe Ward of Kasempa District during an operation to curb illegal mining at the Mine. The ten Tanzanian males were handed over to the Kasempa Immigration Office after the Office established that they were Tanzanians. Of the ten, eight had entered the country as ordinary visitors but were found working at the mine while two others who were also found working at the mine had no travel documents. The Eight have been charged with engaging in business without permits and the two with unlawful stay. They are detained at the Kasempa Correctional Facility and will appear before Court soon.
The Petauke, Mpika, Mwami, Lusaka, and Kasempa incidents brought the number of suspects detained for various immigration offences between 16th and 20th August, 2024 to 190.
Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration between 16th and 20th August, 2024 removed 94 illegal immigrants from the country including 34 removed by the Kabwe Regional Immigration Office after paying their respective court fines for various immigration offences. Among them were 22 Congolese, eight Tanzanians, two Rwandese, one Malawian and one Ugandan.
During this period the Department secured 41 convictions and refused entry to 12 foreign nationals for failing to meet entry requirements.
