FOUR suspected human trafficking masterminders are among 15 people that have been nabbed by the Department of Immigration during an operation that lasted four days.
This week, the Department had been on an operation to burst a human trafficking and smuggling syndicate in Lusaka, Chirundu and Siavonga.
The masterminds who include two Zambians and two Tanzanians have been conniving, trafficking persons of Somalian and Ethiopian origin.
The two Tanzanians were picked in the process of finalizing arrangements to deliver the illegal immigrants to two Zambian masterminds who at the time of the operation were in Chirundu and Siavonga, respectively.
“On April 26,2023, the two Zambian Masterminds engaged a Driver of a Toyota Hiace Public Service Mini-Bus and his Co-Driver to receive the illegal immigrants to transport some to Chirundu and others to Siavonga.
“However, both the Driver and his Co-Driver were nabbed by the team of Officers at Lusaka’s Heroes Stadium, where they had gone to pick up the illegal immigrants. During their arrest, the Mini-Bus had on board other unsuspecting Zambian passengers destined for Chirundu, who were deliberately picked to avoid suspicion at roadblocks. In the late hours of April 26, 2023, the Officers apprehended one Zambian Mastermind in Chirundu aboard a Toyota Allion BAF 6960 as he attempted to receive some of the illegal immigrants,” Department public relations officer Namati Nshinka said.
He said in the early hours of April 27, another Zambian Mastermind and his co-driver were apprehended in Siavonga aboard a Toyota Hiace when they received the other illegal immigrants but the co-driver escaped and is at large.
“All four suspected masterminds are currently detained in safe custody in Lusaka, while the eight Somali and one Ethiopian suspected victims of trafficking are in the department’s custody awaiting further formalities. Meanwhile, the two Hiace Buses, Toyota Allion and Toyota Cresta have been impounded. The four-day operation brings the number of persons apprehended by the Department of Immigration on April 26, 2023 to 35,” Mr Nshika said.
In a separate incident, the department has secured the convictions of two Zambians, Richard Chansa, of Ndola and Monty Bwalya, 34 of Kapiri Mposhi, for aiding and abetting the movement of illegal immigrants.
(Mwebantu, Friday, 28th April, 2023)