A Malawian National has been sentenced to two years for facilitating unlawful entry of 16 Ethiopians.
Immigration’s Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said the department of Immigration has secured the conviction of a Malawian truck driver for knowingly facilitating the entry of 16 Ethiopian illegal immigrants into Zambia, contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Appearing before the Magistrate Court in Katete on 27th November 2020, Mussah Justen 38 was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 1,000 and 2 years simple imprisonment.
Mr Nshnka said Mussah was apprehended on 15th November 2020 in a bush near Mtetezi ZNS Camp, where he was hiding in the company of the sixteen Ethiopians, following a tip-off from members of the public.
He said the convict entered Zambia lawfully through Mwami Border Control driving a Volvo Truck registration number ZA1495 and trailer registration number 6693 belonging to Almeida Transport Limited based in Lilongwe, Malawi..
Mr Nshinka said investigations later revealed that while at Mpingu Trading Centre in Lilongwe on his way to Chilanga Zambia, Justen was approached by a person unknown to him and requested to carry the sixteen Ethiopians whose final destination is believed to have been South Africa.
Meanwhile, the sixteen Ethiopians have since been prosecuted for the offence of unlawful entry. Ten (10) were convicted and each sentenced to pay a fine of K 500 or in default 6 months simple imprisonment. Conclusion of the case of the remaining six (06) who are all juveniles, awaits a report from the Department of Social Welfare. The truck and trailer have since been forfeited to the state.
In a related development, the Department of Immigration in Ndola has secured the conviction of a 52-year-old Chinese national, Lyu Xiancai, for the offence of unlawful stay in Zambia
He was arrested on 1st December 2020 at Zan Mei/XYZ in Ndola’s Industrial Area when it was discovered that he had an Employment Permit which expired in October 2019.
Appearing before the Magistrate Court in Ndola on 7th November 2020, he was sentenced to pay a fine of K 20,000 or in default 6 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Mr Nshinka said from 26th November, 2020 to 7th December, 2020, the Department of Immigration has apprehended two hundred and fifty-four (254) persons of different nationalities for various immigration offences.
He said during this period the Department also removed eighty-six (86) illegal immigrants from the country, and refused twenty-eight (28) foreign nationals entry into Zambia for failing to meet entry requirements.
