MASERU–Magistrate Itumeleng Letsika will on Friday sentence three foreign nationals for contravening Section 7(5) of the Aliens Control Act.
Lin Aiming (72), Wang Xiaomei (37) and Lin Qing (44) are charged with unlawfully remaining in the country without valid residence documents.
The court heard that on February 13, 2026, near BNB Supermarket in Maseru, the accused were found without valid visas during a compliance operation conducted by members of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Control Unit.
Lance Sergeant Tseka, stationed at Police Headquarters, testified that officers were conducting inspections to ensure businesses were operating in accordance with the law when they examined the accused persons’ passports. It was discovered that their visas had expired.
According to a report from the immigration office, A1 visa expired on November 09, 2025, A2 visa expired on September 03, 2025, and A3 visa expired on February 25, 2025.
The court ordered the accused to pay administrative penalties before sentencing. A1 was directed to pay M9,400, the second M2,200 and the third M4,200.
In mitigation, Advocate Maile submitted that the accused are first offenders who cooperated with the court and did not waste its time.
He further indicated that they have since applied for the necessary documentation, although the process has taken longer.
The matter was postponed to February 27, 2026, for sentencing.
Ends/MAMAJ