Africa-Press – Zambia. The Department of Immigration in Chirundu has apprehended 29 Male Ethiopian nationals for unlawful entry into the country. The group, aged between 20 and 43 years, was intercepted after a tip-off aboard a containerized Truck Registration Number AJC 1177 which was parked at Wilu Truck Stop belonging to a retired police officer.
Department of Immigration Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka said the Ethiopians did not have any travel documents at the time of the incident and are currently detained at Chirundu Police Station pending further formalities.
Meanwhile the driver of the truck whose identity remains unknown managed to escape and remains at large. The Immigration Department in Kapiri has also intercepted nine male Kenyans of Somali origin for the offences of concealing true identity and unlawful entry into Zambia. The foreign nationals were nabbed at Lwanshimba Check-Point aboard a Lusaka bound public service bus belonging to Road Force Transport Limited.
In the same statement, Mr Nshinka disclosed that the nine were intercepted after officers who were conducting a physical verification of immigration status of the occupants of the vessel established that the nine concealed their true national identity when they presented Tanzanian travel documents of Identity when in fact, they were Kenyans of Somali Origin.
He said the illegal immigrants will soon be transferred to Kabwe for prosecution. In a related development, Immigration Officers at Kazungula Border Control yesterday apprehended six individuals for unlawful entry, after they attempted to enter Zambia without passports.
Mr Nshinka said the three Zambians and three Namibians, all residents of Namibia, had come to Zambia for shopping. The Zambians who were initially thought to be Namibians have since been warned and will soon be released from custody upon production of proof of citizenship.
He said the three Namibians remain detained and will be prosecuted. This brings the number of persons apprehended by the Department for immigration-related offences to 187, between September 6th to 12th, 2021.
During this period the Department also secured 67 convictions and removed 77 illegal immigrants from the country. This is according to a press statement issued to the media by Department of Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka in Lusaka today.
